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| Forest Mafia active in Rajouri | | Locals reportedly encroached forest land | | EARLY TIMES REPORT
RAJOURI, July 17: Rajouri forests are shrinking allegedly due to increased encroachments by the land mafia in connivance with the forest department officials. At least, 500 kanals of forest land in Sankari area have allegedly been occupied by the residents. On the other hand, lakhs of rupees have been shown on papers for fencing the area however the ground situation is totally different. There are 1500 kanals of forest land in Compartment No 169 and Khasra No 16 and 81 in Sankari area falling under the Forest range Kandi and Forest block Nagrota. However, highly placed sources in the department disclosed that 500 kanals have been encroached by the locals in connivance with forest officials. 'this land was encroached from time to time by the land grabbers in connivance of forest officials', sources alleged adding 'Atleast 11 grabbers have managed to occupy the forest land and forest area has shrunk to 1000 kanal in the area'. The practice of encroachment is reportedly going on in the area for the last 15 years.
Sources said that three occupants have already started constructing their houses on the forest land and 9 others have planned to start construction within days. Sources added that these people have started construction few months ago. 'This is fact, some residents are interfering in the forest land they have started construction', a forest official said on the condition of anonymity. However when contacted Divisional Forest Officer Rajouri said that he has recently joined the department and is not aware about the geography of this area but assured that he will investigate into it and will take necessary actions if there will be some encroachments. Sources have also disclosed that department has incurred lakhs of rupees for fencing of the nursery in the same Compartment however the items mentioned on papers are reportedly non-existent on ground. Forest department after declaring 169 Compartments as Nursery Closure in 1999 have shown on papers that they have fenced 10 hectares of land in which they use 250 pools and 5 quintal barbed wire. They have also shown plantation of 10,000 plants in the area. However, sources said that the ground situation is totally different.
"There is no pool, no barbed wire and thus no fencing in the area", former Naib Sarpanch of Sankari village said. He also said that there is large scale encroachment going on in the forest area where people have started constructing houses.
Though Divisional Forest Officer admitted that there is record available with them about fencing of the area but he is still unaware about the ground situation. 'I will depute a team to the area to access the ground situation' he said. However a department official without disclosing his name said, "I do not know whether the area was fenced or not but today the position is that there is no fencing in the area."
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