Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 27: In a swift action today, Forest Department team, assisted by police today removed encroachment on nearly 44 kanals of Forest land at Chowadi and Sunjuwan, under Bahu Range and demolished boundary wall, fencing and structures raised there.
Official sources said that the anti-encroachment team led by DFO Jammu, Dr V S Senthil Kumar and assisted by Range Officer, Bahu, Ajit Chander, first cleared 40 kanals of land which had been allegedly grabbed by two persons including a son of senior politician and former Minister in Forest compartment No. 8 falling in Chowadi. They had also raised boundary wall and fencing besides a structure.
During operation, a board erected there by some people, with the name of SRK Constructions was also seized along with other material. These people had used JCBs to label the land some time back and gad engaged men at work.
Later, the team removed encroachment on nearly 4 kanals of Forest land at Batala Mohalla in Sunjuwan area. The team removed the plinth on the Forest land falling in compartment No.5 of Bahu Range. Some resistance from land grabbers was also faced by the team but police reinforcement had already been summoned by the officers to meet any challenge.
aDFO Jammu, when contacted said that he has communicated the matter to the Divisional Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner Jammu as well for fresh demarcation as land grabbers were claiming that land was under Revenue Department. He said probe into the matter was must. The DDF said that department will file an FIR against the land grabbers.