Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 16: The Principal Chief Conservator of Forests & Head of Forest Force, J&K, has extended the permission for the felling and transportation of Khair trees up to March 31 this year in all the Territorial Forest Divisions in the region.
Official sources said that orders were issued by the PCCF and HOFF, J&K, S K Gupta after he received farmers’ representations through DFO Samba, Kathua, Billawar, Basohli and Ramnagar, with the request to extend date of felling/extraction/transportation of Khair trees from private lands.
They pleaded that in view of delay on the part of Revenue authorities to process their cases on time being busy in election process during Sept-Oct 2024, they are unable to complete the process as DFOs refused to take files after time line was over. They gave past references of time extension in view of Panchayat elections as well. They claimed that if they failed to sell their trees this time, they will get next opportunity after 10 years due to Forest Management Rules.
PCCF J&K, S K Gupta claimed that taking note of the farmers; issue of genuine nature, the time for the felling/conversion of green Khair trees from non-forest/private lands has been extended up to March 5, while entire process including transportation etc has to be completed by March 31, 2025. He clarified that time line for the felling of Khair trees from non-forest lands has been strictly extended upto March 5 and not March 31 as per his order. The allied activities including transportation should be finished by the farmers by March 31, 2025.
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