Jammu, May 22: In a major development following the demolition of houses belonging to Gujjar-Bakerwal families in Raika area of Sidra, the Omar Abdullah-led Government on Friday evening ordered a high-level inquiry into the incident amid rising outrage and allegations of misuse of authority by officials of the Forest and other departments.
The Government has constituted a multi-member inquiry committee headed by senior KAS officer Rajinder Singh Tara. Assistant Commissioner Revenue (ACR) Jammu and Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Jammu have been appointed as members of the panel, which has been asked to submit its report within one week.
Official sources said the Government has taken a serious view of the demolitions, particularly after reports surfaced that several affected families were migrant Gujjars from rural Kashmir and Pir Panjal regions who had migrated to Jammu after facing militancy-related violence and hardships.
Sources further indicated that action may be initiated against officials found responsible, with the administration closely examining the role of the Forest Department in the matter.
Meanwhile, the Tribal Affairs Department has also constituted a separate fact-finding committee headed by senior KAS officer Mumtaz Ali to investigate alleged violations of the Forest Rights Act, 2006, and safeguards provided to Scheduled Tribes under the Constitution.
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