Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, May 8: Over 1200 kanals of Forest and JDA land which was retrieved from the land grabbers in Dawara area of Sidhra, near Golf Course about four years back has been re-encroached while the ‘land mafia’ has grabbed nearly 130 kanals of JDA land in Rattnuchak area near Birpur.
Sources in the Forest department and Jammu Development Authority told the Excelsior that about four years ago, a joint team of Forest, JDA, Forest Protection Force, Revenue department, assisted by District Police Jammu during major operation using bulldozers and JCBs had cleared encroachment on nearly 1800 kanals of Forest, JDA and State land in Sidhra. There was major resistance from the land grabbers. Several Policemen and Forest officials were also injured in the stone pelting. The then DC and SSP Jammu were monitoring the operation. Some area was also fenced by Forest and JDA officials after operation was over. For several weeks, the FPF guards by raising tents there protected the Forest land but most of the retrieved area has been re-encroached in last four years.
Most of this area falls just closer to the Sidhra Golf Course at Dawara and just behind new Police Control Room at Sidhra. This area is clearly visible from the road leading to Panjtirthi from Tawi bridge at Sidhra. A mushrooming growth of pucca structures/ houses is clearly visible at Bahu Reserve at the bank of river Tawi just within 1-2 kms range of Golf Course.
Sources revealed that during these last four years, even some insiders in the Forest department and in the JDA at field level, encouraged the land mafia men for their vested interests and kept the officers at the top in the dark. The re-encroachment continued in systematic manner and at present nearly 1200 kanals of the retrieved area has been re-grabbed. Even some people have raised two-storey houses there.
A joint team of Forest, Revenue and JDA officials including a CCF, Director Land Management JDA, DFO Jammu (T) and Demarcation and others who visited Dawara (Sidhra) and Raika area for the field visit and demarcation purpose recently had to face the wrath of the land grabbers. When they were doing their job, the people blocked their way and were about to start stoning. Sensing trouble, they immediately called police and then they managed to escape from there under protection.
This Committee headed by CCF Settlement and Demarcation has been framed by the GAD involving Forest, Revenue and JDA officers for the demarcation purpose. During field visit they detected nearly 43 pucca structures just within hardly 80 to 100 kanal of area. The people have even raised boundary walls and barbed wire fencing. Some land mafia people have kept nomads, some outsiders and even apparently Bangladeshis in some structures. It has been established that some retired and serving Government servants and some politicians are also among the ‘land grabbers’ there.
Sources disclosed that right from Sidhra bridge downstream in Bahu Rakh (Reserve) side, the area has been encroached upon up to Har ki Poudi. There is no check on such people and apparently nobody bothers about Government agencies like Forest, JDA or Police there. Some structures have come up even along the Bypass Highway. Sources said that land grabbing is not possible without the connivance of the concerned field officials. They connive with the land mafia and encourage such activities. It said that in Raika, Sunjawan and Bathindi areas, hundreds of kanals of Forest land has been encroached upon. Some land has also been grabbed in Upper Roop Nagar area of Jammu, which is yet to be vacated.
While majority of the land belonged to Forest, but nearly 300 kanals land near Dawara in Sidhra, re-grabbed by people belonged to JDA. Most of this area is just behind the new PCR at Sidhra. It is grabbed by the members from both the communities. The areas of Sate land grabbed there is not much.
Sources further added that about 130 kanals of JDA land which falls near Rattnuchak Pond ( Talab/ under 66 and 166 min) in Birpur area has also been re-grabbed by the land mafia-men. It said that some field JDA officials connived with the land mafia men to re-grab this prime land, along the main road. Its value is in crores. This area had been got vacated by the joint team of Revenue officials from district Samba and JDA hardly seven months back. The then Addl DC Samba, the then Vice Chairperson JDA along with other officers and policemen had conducted operation amidst stoning by land mafia men. As no proper fencing was done, the area was re-grabbed with the passage of time.
DFO Jammu, Dr V Senthil Kumar when contacted admitted that some area near Golf Course at Sidhra which was retrieved some years back has been re-encroached. He said about 40 odd pucca structures have come up there after that operation. The number may be more now but a joint demarcation process has been started with the initiative of new Government. The area is being identified and massive anti-encroachment operation will follow.
Replying to a question, the DFO said actually there are three stakeholders of this land in that patch in Sidhra area. The land grabbed there by land mafia men belongs to Forest, JDA and Revenue authorities. Nobody, actually knows about the exact boundary of their land. Some land record seems to be intentionally damaged by some people in these agencies. The committee has started joint survey and demarcation with the help of GTS of the Govt of India. Some record is also being retrieved and managed with the help of experts. The people responsible for upkeep of the record in last 10-15 years or otherwise responsible for it, are also being traced. This process commenced in the middle of April and in next one month this task will be completed. The GAD has given two months time to the committee, he added.
Minister for Forests and Social Welfare Bali Bhagat when contacted said that new Govt after taking over viewed the issue of land grabbing very seriously. As a first step, a joint survey and demarcation committee headed by an officer of the CCF rank was framed. It included officers from Revenue and JDA. They have started their task. They have conducted field visits in some areas like Sidhra, Raika, Bhathindi, Sunjwan etc and have started work. After the demarcation process is over, the anti-encroachment operation will be started. Those sitting illegally on Government/ Forest land will be served notices. After completion of this process, the Department will not hesitate to use bulldozers/ JCBs to remove encroachment.
Responding to a question, the Forest Minister said in last 5-6 years, massive destruction of Forests has been witnessed in and around Jammu city. Even the Forest/ Wild Life Reserves were not spared. This activity was even encouraged by some key officials within the system. “Some people converted Forests department as their `fiefdom’. It will not happen now. The encroachments will be removed effectively using force. Nobody will be spared whether they are retired or serving bureaucrats, civil or police officials or some politicians. I have procured record from all these areas and will disclose even the names some `top people’ among the land of grabbers before the media at the appropriate time,” Mr Bhagat maintained.
Meanwhile, Vice Chairman JDA Mubarak Singh when contacted and asked about the status of re-encroachment of prime JDA land near Rattnuchak (Birpur) worth crores, said that the land had been cleared from the land grabbers at Birpur some months back when he was DC Samba. The land was also fenced and proposal was initiated to raise colony there. If this has happened now, he would hold an inquiry into the matter. If the land was found grabbed, it will be got vacated immediately. He also said that if any official of the JDA was found responsible for not informing senior officers about this development or connived with the land mafia, he would be punished as per law.
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