Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, Sept 16: Launching a massive joint operation against land- mafia today, the Forest, Jammu Development Authority (JDA), Revenue Department and police teams demolished nearly 82 concrete structures and retrieved about 1000 kanal of Government land in Dwara and Sidhra areas of Jammu, while amidst day long clashes and stone- pelting 14 police personnel including a Sub Inspector were injured.
Official sources said that on the directions of the J&K High Court, the District Administration under the close supervision of Divisional Commissioner Jammu, Dr M K Bhandari and District Magistrate Rajeev Ranjan, led by Additional Deputy Commissioner Jammu, Arun Manhas; Assistant Conservator of Forests Mohd Rashid Manhas, Tehsildar Farooq Khan, SDPO East Arun Jamwal and Range Officer Bahu Vinod Sharma, launched massive crackdown on land mafia, razed about 82 concrete structures to the ground and removed encroachments on more than 1000 kanals of Forest and JDA land near Golf Course Sidhra and Dwara along the banks of river Tawi in Bahu Range of Jammu Forest Division, on Jammu’s outskirts.
The team faced heavy stone pelting by encroachers and their supporters, wherein 14 police personnel, including Sub Inspector (SI), Dyal Chand and Assistant Sub Inspector (ASI) Mumtaz Hussain were injured, Additional DC Manhas said.
“The joint team of Police, Revenue and Forest departments faced stiff resistance during the eviction, but we were able to retrieve Forest and some JDA land by demolishing 82 concrete structures including nearly 30 RCC plinths,” he said.
As the large team with strong police force arrived at Dwara area of Sidhra at around 7 am today along with four JCBs, the land grabbers started assembling there. They were challenged by the Police and Revenue officers and asked to stay away using loud speakers. But after half an hour, they launched strong attack on the team involved in anti-encroachment operation. They resorted to heavy stone pelting on police and other Forest and Revenue officials. The situation turned explosive as the team was encircled from all the directions by the land grabbers and their supporters. They had also broken two vehicles.
The police then lobbed about one and half dozen tear gas shells to quell the mob and also resorted to lathi-charge. The women were found mostly leading the violent protesters where police faced some difficulty in handling the situation. They laid down before the JCBs and were removed by the lady cops and others. Most of the houses had been abandoned by the land grabbers by raising temporary fencing on the surrounding land since long.
They were visiting frequently there or keeping their cattle. About 30 plinth and 52 houses/ structures were dismantled during day long operation. The police and administration faced tough resistance and struggling women did not allow them to dismantle about score of the large houses raised on State land. The ADC then directed the Revenue officials to seal these houses if they did not vacate within given time limit.
During day long operation 14 Policemen including SI Dyal Chand, ASI Mumtaz Hussain, Head Constables, Pupinder Singh and Zaffar Din and SGC Tilak Raj were injured. They were admitted to GMC Hospital Jammu. SI received serious injuries on his jaw and his teeth were broken with stone. The mob also damaged two vehicles of the Police and Revenue officials. A case has been registered against the attackers by police. Many of them are said to have been identified by teams.
“The operation was successfully completed and about 1000 kanals of Forest and the JDA land in Compartment 65 of Bahu Range, adjacent to the city on the banks of river Tawi, worth crores of rupees was retrieved from the clutches of encroachers,” Conservator of Forests, East Circle Jammu, Khawaja Qamar Din said.
“The encroachers were hell bent upon to encroach Forest land, but our field staff is vigilant to remove the encroachment and prevent the land grabbing in the future,” the CF said.
DFO Jammu, AD Singh said that Forest department is taking all measures to retrieve Forest land and protect the same cleared from the clutches of land grabbers. He said the fencing of the area will be done shortly.
Another senior officer said that this operation was carried out in compliance to the J&K High Court order. The court had pulled up the Jammu Development Authority and the Revenue department for repeated massive encroachment of State land.
The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) had also rapped the JDA for failing to retrieve Rs 147 crore worth prime property, including allotment of Rs 116 crore land to a non-state subject in Jammu, during the last 14 years.
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