80,000 kanals of ‘land bank’ lying with JDA, Govt prefers ‘Bahu Games Reserve’

Demarcated area of Bahu Game/Conservation Reserve, as shown in map of J&K Forest, Ecology and Wildlife Department also indicating Raika in the middle.
Demarcated area of Bahu Game/Conservation Reserve, as shown in map of J&K Forest, Ecology and Wildlife Department also indicating Raika in the middle.

HC shifting project being sent to NWLB

Gopal Sharma

JAMMU, Oct 25: While over 80,000 kanals of Land bank was available with the Jammu Development Authority (JDA), the Department of Law and Justice, J&K and the District Administration, Jammu did not approach the JDA for the land for the shifting of Jammu High Court and the Lower Courts from the Janipur to some other suitable location.
Official sources told the EXCELSIOR that the Forest Advisory Committee in its meeting held on Oct 15, 2019 at Srinagar and even the State Wildlife Board on last Friday, cleared the project “Expansion of Judicial Infrastructure in Jammu” for acquiring 813 kanals and 13 marlas of Forest land of Bahu Game Conservation Reserve, located near Raika and Bahu, for the construction of new High Court Complex and other District courts in near future. After the clearance of the State Wildlife Board, the project is now being sent to the National Wildlife Board, New Delhi for clearance.
Sources revealed that a huge Land bank was already available with the Jammu Development Authority but the indenting agency (Law Department) did not approach the JDA and preferred to seek certificate from the Deputy Commissioner Jammu that no such a vast Government or private land was available for the said project. The DC Jammu vide her letter No. DCJ/SQ/Land-High Court/2019-20/2500-01 dated 10-102019, communicated to the Registrar General High Court, indenting agency and the Forest authorities about the issue.
Documents in possession of EXCELSIOR indicated that J&K Govt vide its order No. FST/20 of 1981 dated Feb 4, 1981 had declared the proposed project area, near Raika and Bahu as ” Bahu Game Reserve” along with seven other locations including Jawahar Tunnel Game Reserve, Thein Game Reserve, Sudh Mahadev Game Reserve, three locations in Leh and one in Kargil.
In the map available with the Excelsior, Raika and Bahu have been clearly shown in the middle of the demarcated Bahu Game Reserve. Another Notification of the then Deputy Commissioner Jammu, A. Sehsaraman, dated 11-2-1982 has clearly defined the status of the area, wildlife species available and restricted it for any construction or other purpose. But despite this, surprisingly the Forest and SWL authorities have given the green nod to the project in hush-hush manner that too, with in one week’s time, in sheer violation of Supreme Court guidelines.
Sources revealed that more than 30,000 small, medium and big trees, besides Bamboo species, which is at the verge of extinction in the region, will be axed in the process of acquiring 813 kanals of land at Bahu Forest Range. Several mandatory exercises have been over looked by the officials at the ‘helm of affairs’ for the clearance of this project.
Vice Chairman JDA, Vikas Sharma and Director Land Management, JDA Sanjay Gupta when contacted revealed that they had nearly 80,000 kanals of land bank available with them. They said no agency including Law Department/ District Administr-ation/ Revenue authorities have approached them for requisition of the land for the said project.
The Vice Chairman further revealed that by the end of February 2019, the JDA has land bank of nearly 42000 kanal but some more land was transferred to JDA by the Government. He said they have sufficient land near Fourth Tawi bridge and some other locations around Jammu. Out of this land bank over 60,000 kanals has been demarcated and process on the rest is going on, he added.
While justifying reasons of shifting Janipur Court complex, the report supporting Indent has revealed that the existing campus of the Jammu High Court is in a decrepit State and suffers on account of various factors like narrow road/ lane access to the Court complex, inadequate for convenience of litigants, lawyers and judges, whereas, traffic jams are daily matter on this road.
It has also been projected that existing High Court building is completely unsafe from fire safety standards as well as from security point of view and therefore, under constant threat. The Fire and Emergency services during recent inspection had also recommended some measures including shifting of record / almirahs from corridors for emergency evacuation, making operational the defunct fixed fire fighting system stalled at Jammu High Court and installation of automatic fire fighting system.
Moreover, there was not enough parking space available there. As per new project, a new High Court complex with 35 rooms and space for expansion over the next 50 years to 70 court rooms, with 30,000 sqm has been proposed.
A former senior IFS officer when contacted said `Bahu Conservation Reserve’ and `Ramnagar Wild Life Sanctuary’ are considered as `lungs’ of Jammu city. If the forest is damaged the pollution level will go up and it would ultimately reduce the life span of the people of Jammu. These forests act as catchment areas for river Tawi. And if the forests are damaged the Tawi will turn into a `dry khud’ in coming years. Moreover, Bahu Range is part of Shivalik biodiversity repository with over 1000 wild life species and medicinal plants. He hoped that National Green Tribunal (NGT) would take strong note of it.
Referring to a similar case of transfer of 623 kanals and 10 marlas of Forest Land from Bahu Game Reserve vide Govt order No. 242 FST of 1998 dated 10-3-1997 to JDA, he said the same order had been challenged in the J&K High Court by Prof Bhim Singh in a PIL and the same was dismissed. The court had taken very serious note of it. He said if Government intends to go for expansion it has already 576 kanals of land at Janipur. They can acquire even 100 kanals more land there for expansion and initiate exercise for alternate road and widening of existing approach road, he added.

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