Details

Category: ENVIRONMENT

Published: 06 January 2016

JAMMU: Tawi Andolan expresses its deep concern over the slackness of previous state governments in dealing with land encroachment by the unscrupulous persons within and around Tawi river basin and banks, water bodies and forests. Adv. Chander Mohan Sharma, Convenor of Tawi Andolan and Namami Gange Project (BJP) said whenever, any serious attempt is made to retrieve such grabbed land, the land mafia attack the staff and even the police parties accompanying them.

Terming the brutal attack on the staff and police party by the miscreants as an act of highhandedness and violence and such acts are condemnable. I strongly condemn the assault on police party and damaging police vehicle by land mafia at village Kernel-e-Chak of Nikki Tawi area of Jammu. Such Highhandedness and brutal lawlessness should not be tolerated and govt. should take strict action against the culprits. Through this media conference, I express that such Gunda Gardi can demoralize police force which is already engaged in combat operations against Terrorism. In view of the Pathankot Terrorist attack, the state law enforcing agencies must weed out such element which provoked attack on the police.

Through this media conference I also condemn the action of Zulfikar Ali, Cabinet Minister for his support and encouragement to said land mafia responsible for prime land encroachment in Nikki Tawi area. I want to remind Mr. Zulfikar Ali that coalition Govt is functioning upon two Fundamentals i.e. Good Governance and Development. Encouraging land mafia and illegal occupants of state land and River Tawi basins is against these basic principles. There are number of directions issued by High Court of J&K in various Writ Petitions that all Encroachements from water bodies like Jhelum, Wuller Lake, Dal Lake, Tawi River, and Chenab be removed.

No Minister of the Government can trample the “ Agenda of Alliance” wherein it has been cogent that river Tawi will be developed on the pattern of holy Ganga. With illegal occupations on the banks and basin of River Taw, this joint commitment of BJP-PDP cannot be achieved. Removal of the illegal encroachments from the state land is necessary, so that land can be used for construction of big projects like IIT and IIM etc, as the land is nearer to Jammu City, National Highway, Airport and Railways, hence it is suitable for housing big projects.

Tawi is lifeline of people of Jammu region and is regarded as Surajputri (Goddess). Beside this, the river has got tremendous Potential of attracting Tourists and Pilgrims.I praise Ministry of forest for recovering huge forest land from land mafia at various places in the state. I also praise District Administration Jammu for this bold initiative to get state land free from illegal occupation. ERA Department also deserves appreciation for getting prime land vacated from illegal occupants.

Tawi Andolan does not object to providing accommodation to the genuine homeless people at some proper place and under some proper planning. I demand police action against all illegal occupants of the state land who have come from Bangladesh , Myanmar  and other part of our own state unreasonably. At last I pay rich tributes to the martyrs of Pathankot and the Soldiers killed in avalanches in Ladakh. Others who are present here namely Subash Gupta (Co-Convenor), Surinder Sharma, Prof. Rajinder Mishra, Dr. Prem sharma, J.K. Chopra, Ravi Sharma  and  Raj Kumar.