x

Like our Facebook Page

   
Early Times Newspaper Jammu, Leading Newspaper Jammu
 
Breaking News :   Stop behaving like ‘feudal lord’: Imran Ansari tells Omar Abdullah | Satellite-based toll collection system to replace toll plazas: Nitin Gadkari | MHA extends validity of FCRA registered NGOs | India’s borders totally secure: Rajnath Singh | ‘Govt open to change in Agniveer scheme’ | CS reviews development of skilling portal by BISAG | Leopard snatches 5-year-old girl | Rains lash Kashmir, more in offing | Notification issued for Jammu Lok Sabha seat | 11 injured in Poonch accident | Properties of drug peddler attached | JKBOSE reschedules 11th class exams | Yoga competition held | BLOs imparted Training about electoral process at different assembly segments of Kupwara | SVEEP programme Galvanizes Participation in electoral process at High School Nagulta | Missing girl traced out within 2 days, reunited with family | Police Reunites missing girl with Family | PCCF chairs 8th UT Level Monitoring Committee meeting | Police thwarts bovine smuggling bid, Apprehends Culprits | DEO flags-off SVEEP Van for Voter awareness in Kulgam | Chorus Grows Louder | Hilly, rural areas confronting development deficit under J&K Govt: Sadhotra | Ex-Army Chief VK Singh Sabotaged Revocation Of AFSPA In J-K, Alleges Omar Abdullah | CUK declares Mar-29, 30 as working days for all non-teaching staff | RGCN organizes workshop on Nursing edcuation | Secretary Sports Council Inaugurates Softball/Baseball5 Championship 2023-24 | GDC Vijaypur Starts Lecture Series | GDC Ramnagar conducts programme on Nasha Mukti Se Yuva Shakti | SPMR College Organizes SVEEP Programme Promoting Voter Awareness | Khour Holds Successful Anti-Drug Awareness Programme | Students Rally Against Drug Abuse in Dewan Devi Public School Event | Psychological Support for Young Adults: Lecture at GDC Bishnah | GDC Udhampur organizes awareness programme | Jammu Police started proceedings under section 82 CrPc against a Psa Absconder | Amit chairs meeting in Ladakh | Two persons injured in scuffle in Bemina Srinagar | Back Issues  
 
news details
Influential grabber prized forest land, 227 structures constructed illegally
2/24/2020 11:44:50 PM
SAAHIL SUHAIL

EARLY TIMES REPORT

PAHALGAM, Feb 24: While the innocent Kashmiris were facing the brunt of militancy during nineties, influential and rich in nexus with officials of Revenue and Forest Departments managed to grab hundreds of kanals of forest land at this world famous tourist destination and constructed huts, hotels and guest houses on forest and state land.
Sources in the forest department reveal that “big babus” and political cohorts’ grabbed forest and wildlife land with the active support of revenue officials during past years but the successive governments instead of initiating action against them encouraged the forest land encroachment by siding with the looters and land encroachers.
They said that hundreds of kanals of forest land has been illegally encroached at Pahalagm and due to inaction of the department land grabbers have managed to raise constructions on the same land. “Revenue officials are tempering with the records and helping land grabbers,” they added.
“Revenue officials from time to time have tampered with the records. Settlement records show 43 Kanals and 19 Maralas under Khasra number 169 but now after making fraud entries officials have issued documents to more than 75 kanals under the same Khasra number,” a local resident, privy of the developments told Early Times.
A group of bureaucrats have also encroached upon forest land in Ganeshbal area and raised constructions over it. Late Deputy Chief Minister’s son is also among the encroachers. Even the Forest department has reportedly issued a No Objection Certificate (NOC) in favor of a businessman who runs cement business in Kashmir and allowed him fence a large chunk of forest land at Ganeshbal Pahalgam after the businessman stroked a monetary deal with top officials of the department. The businessman had plans to construct a hotel on the land but the continuous of coverage of ET spoiled his plans and the area was marked as green belt. An official in the forest department at Anantnag revealed that in 2006-Master Plan, the C-16 Zone of Mammal Wildlife sanctuary was put under permissible zone. “Irony is that these highly influential people not only grabbed forest and wildlife land at Pahlagam but also chopped off tress and used same timber to construct illegal structures,” he said.
He reveled that land has been also encroached in D-1, D-2, D-3 and D-4 zones of Khilan up to the Langni Bridge. Official said that an influential former town planner and his brother also grabbed land at Gogran Batkoot and raised illegal structures.
Land has also been grabbed in Mamam Shikargah of Aru Wildlife Sanctuary, Meeran Pattar and Aathnadan areas of Pahalgam.
In the Aru Wildlife zone locals allege that hundreds of Kanal of land have been encroached upon by many influential people with the tacit support of Wildlife officials, revenue and PDA officials posted in the area. “At Aru you will see many big patches of land in the Wildlife zone having been encroached upon by many influential people and the Wildlife officials never mustered courage to remove theses encroachments,” said locals.
Forest officials admit that the influential people under the grab of 60-C gazette have grabbed the land and raised over 227 structures illegally over it.
Important to mention here, in Kashmir valley thousands of kanals of forest land has been encroached.
According to details available with Early Times, over 27094 kanal of forest land is under encroachment in Anantnag district, over 2939 kanal in Bandipora, over 11221 kanal in Baramulla, 7636 kanal in Budgam district, over 897 kanal in Kupwara, over 6589 kanals in Kulgam, over 8179 kanal in Ganderbal and over 12339 kanal in Shopian district, however the department hasn’t done enough to check the menace of land grabbing.
  Share This News with Your Friends on Social Network  
  Comment on this Story  
 
 
 
Early Times Android App
STOCK UPDATE
  
BSE Sensex
NSE Nifty
 
CRICKET UPDATE
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
Home About Us Top Stories Local News National News Sports News Opinion Editorial ET Cetra Advertise with Us ET E-paper
 
 
J&K RELATED WEBSITES
J&K Govt. Official website
Jammu Kashmir Tourism
JKTDC
Mata Vaishnodevi Shrine Board
Shri Amarnath Ji Shrine Board
Shri Shiv Khori Shrine Board
UTILITY
Train Enquiry
IRCTC
Matavaishnodevi
BSNL
Jammu Kashmir Bank
State Bank of India
PUBLIC INTEREST
Passport Department
Income Tax Department
JK CAMPA
JK GAD
IT Education
Web Site Design Services
EDUCATION
Jammu University
Jammu University Results
JKBOSE
Kashmir University
IGNOU Jammu Center
SMVDU