Ensure demarcation of forest land under forest department record: Lal Singh to officers

• ‘Inaugurates 5-day training programme on settlement of Forest land’’

JAMMU: Minister for Forests, Ecology and Environment, Choudhary Lal Singh today ordered for demarcation of forest land across the State under forest demarcation map. This was stated by the Minister while addressing a large gathering of 200 front line forest staff of Jammu province after inaugurating 5-day training programme on settlement of demarcation of Forest land at Soil Conservation Training Institute at Miran Sahib, here today.

Member Legislative Assembly Gagan Bhagat, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Ravi Kesar, Chairman State Pollution Control Board B Siddhartha Kumar, Commissioner/Secretary Forests, Ecology and Environment Sourabh Bhagat Chief Conservator of Forests Farooq Gillani, Conservator East Circle Khawaja Qamar-ud-Din, Conservator West Circle T B Singh, Regional Director Social Forestry Roop Kour Avtar, Principal of the Institute Ashok Kalsi besides other senior officers of Forests and its allied wings were present on the occasion.

The Minister said there is no constraint of funds in demarcating the un-demarcated land of the forests across the State. He asked the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Ravi Kesar to immediately provide a translated copy of all 2161 demarcation files from Urdu to English and English to Urdu so that front line forest staff could start the demarcation job from April 1, 2018.     

Choudhary Lal Singh said that best performer would be rewarded and poor will face action. The Minister   directed the DFOs to personally monitor the fencing of forest land to check encroachment. He stressed the need to generate mass awareness regarding the measures for   safeguarding the forest wealth, prevent illicit felling of trees and avoid spreading of denuded forests in the state.

Choudhary Lal Singh said that forests contribute in maintaining the climate and conserving bio-diversity thereby helping in maintaining the quality of life. He further focused on the department’s role to ensure that the government nurseries have wide variety of fruits and ornamental plants for people.