Excelsior Correspondent
RAJOURI, Nov 23: The Forest Department team in two operations in Nowshera area, foiled major forest land grabbing attempts and seized a JCB while a Beat Guard was placed under suspension for alleged connivance with the encroachers of the area.
A senior Forest officer told the Excelsior that Nowshera Forest Division team led by DFO, Vijay Kumar and assisted by Range Officer Lamberi, other field staff and FPF men, organized operation during last night and seized a JCB from compartment No. 141/N. This machine had been used for illegal excavation of forest land. It was found that one Zahida Begum, wife of Abdul Rehman hailing from the same area had engaged this JCB to construct Pucca House and cover a large chunk of forest land.
The DFO registered a damage case against the offender and seized the JCB. The area was cleared with the demolition of a small structure. After preliminary inquiry the role of Beat Guard was found fishy. The Conservator of Forests Jammu Wet Circle, B Mohandass placed Beat Guard, Mohd Rashid under suspension for his alleged involvement in the offence.
Meanwhile, the team led by Range Officer Lamberi, thwarted an attempt of encroachment by dismantling the structure under Compartment No. 1/N being raised by a renowned person of the area from PDP with the support of his political mentor from Rajouri. They alleged that the said person, Pir Muzaffar Hussain in connivance with others illegally managed Revenue entries on forest land bearing Khasra Number 369, over an area of 5000 kanals since 2011.
The CF West and DFO Nowshera further disclosed that a number of such cases are on record where such illegal entries have been made on forest land and in some cases the ownership rights have also been conferred to the land encroachers under Roshni Act in violation of J&K Forest Act and Roshni Act by the Revenue authorities. The matter has been strongly taken up with the higher authorities for the cancellation of such illegal entries, they maintained.
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