JAMMU: Minister for Forest, Environment and Ecology, Choudhary Lal Singh today directed the Divisional Forest Officers to gear up their men and machinery for demarcation of retrieved forests land to avoid further encroachment. This was stated by the Minister while addressing a meeting of officers of Forest and its allied wings, here today.
Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Ravi Kesar, Chief Wildlife Warden Manoj Panth, Commissioner/Secretary Forests, Ecology and Environment Sourabh Bhagat, Managing Director State Forest Corporation Suresh Gupta, Director Social Forestry Ashwani Gupta, Director Soil Water and Conservation, Javed Iqbal Punju, Chief Conservator of Forests Farooq Gillani, Conservator East Circle Qamar-ud-Din, Conservator West Circle T B Singh, Regional Director Wildlife Dr V S Sinthil Kumar, Regional Director Social Forestry Roop Kour Avtar besides other senior officers of Forests and its allied wings of Jammu region Wildlife were present on the occasion.
The Minister directed DFOs to prepare lists of officials or private persons involved in encroaching forest land and submit the report within week time for further necessary action under Forest Department Act. Choudhary Lal Singh said that the Forest department has rich resources and these have to be safeguarded. He said the Government has set up a Demarcation Committee for checking the activities of encroachers. The Minister reiterated that as per the directions of the High Court, encroached forest land would be vacated.