Excelsior Correspondent
KATHUA, Dec 31: In continuing its drive against the illegal encroachment/occupation of the forest land in Kathua, Forest department today evicted 30 kanal of encroached forest land in Basantpur Block of the district.
A team of forest staff under the supervision of DFO-Kathua and led by the Range Officer-Kathua as well as BO Basantpur in early morning hours of today rushed to the Compt No 10/K of Basantpur Block and evicted an old encroachment and retrieved nearly 30 Kanal of forest land from the clutches of Chandi and his brother Mohd Shafi, both sons of Ibrahim, resident of Thein (Thambnala) falling in Compt 10/K of Basantpur block of Kathua Range.
These people have raised cattle sheds and the Bamboo fencing around the periphery. During the operation, the team of forest staff removed the thatched sheds, a Kuccha Hut and bamboo fencing.
It is worthwhile to mention here that few days before the local forest staff and Block Forest Officer Basantpur had removed the stone wall fencing and one Kuccha cattle shed in the same spot but taking into consideration the gravity of the situation and to avoid any untoward incident the team of forest staff under the command of Range Officer-Kathua HQ was called today, which carried out this operation under the watch full eyes of the local media personnel.
An encroachment case was also registered against the culprits and with regard their claims of allotment of land in the area, the DFO-Kathua has apprised that the same will also be verified in a joint demarcation/nishandai exercise with the revenue officials as the department.
Apart from this, the staff of Kathua Range also seized one Tractor Trolley bearing registration No JK08E-1738 on Dec 30 loaded with 30 quintals (approx) of firewood logs without Transport permission and F-25 and confiscation proceedings has been initiated under Section 26 of J&K Forest Act of 1987 for the violation of Sections 15 & 16.
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