JAMMU: Minister for Forests, Ecology and Environment Choudhary Lal Singh today asked the land grabbers to voluntarily vacate encroachments on Forest Land at Bermeeni in Sunjwan area, particularly the identified land for establishment of public facilities and development of park, deer park etc there. This was stated by the Minister while interacting with the people after inspecting the Forest land at Bermeeni in Sunjwan, here today.
Senior officers of Forests, SFC, Soil and Water Conservation, Pollution Control Board and Forest Protection Force accompanied the Minister. Choudhary Lal Singh warned the illegal occupants to vacate encroached forest land voluntarily or otherwise face legal action for forcibly eviction as the Government is planning to construct forest department offices and recreational parks in these areas.
The Minister directed officers to demarcate and ensure fencing of government forest lands in Sunjwan to prevent encroachments. He asked them to take up plantation of ornamental, fruit plants and develop view points. Choudhary Lal Singh informed that Government has set up a demarcation committee for cracking down on the “heavy weight encroachers as these culprits will not spare. He informed that a five member panel headed by the Chief Conservator of Forests, Jammu would deal with the encroachment and eviction of forest lands in Sunjwan, Bathindi, Raika and Sidhra areas in Jammu.
Choudhary Lal Singh said that retrieving encroached land is the mission of the Government and directed Conservator of Forest to ensure the demarcation of forest land besides starting the process of the evictions as per Forest Act. He said several colonies have come-up illegally on encroached forest lands in Sidhra, Nagorta, Bhatindi, Bajalta, Raika Sunjwan and Chowadi belts lower Shavaliks in Jammu city.
Later, the Minister also inspected the ongoing construction work of Forest Complex near Qasim Nagar and SFC timber sale depot in Bahu area. He directed the Jammu and Kashmir Project Construction Corporation (JKPCC) to complete the construction work of Forest Complex at Bahu area near Qasim Nagar.