| Armed J&K's Forest Protection Force protecting what? | | Fresh report shows increase in forest land grab, timber loot | | Syed Junaid Hashmi
JAMMU, Dec 5: Arming the Forest Protection Force (FPF) seems to have failed to keep a check on loot of timber and grabbing of forest land across Jammu and Kashmir.
Neither have the funds nor the weaponry helped Forest department in bringing a heartwarming change in the otherwise gloomy forest land grab and timber loot scenario. Forest Minister Mian Altaf has been making desperate efforts but the officers on the ground have been unable to deliver. Officials of Forest department reluctantly accept that check posts have become timber loot facilitation centers.
Gravity of the situation can gauged from the recent report of Union Forest and Environment Ministry wherein they have placed Jammu and Kashmir at number 1 among the states which have witnessed large-scale of such violation of forests. According to this report, 13, 360 hectares of forest land is under illegal occupation across the state. Report has further said that illegal timber loot business running in crores is unchecked especially in erstwhile District Doda alongwith parts of North and South Kashmir.
It has further said that state forest-ministry has diverted 1,883 hectares of forest land for non-forest purposes in violation of rules in this district of Jammu and Kashmir. Jammu accounts for 25 per cent of forest land (767 sq km), below prescribed level of 33 per cent as per National Forest Policy, says the report while adding that out of the 25 per cent forest land, only 1,063 hectares (one per cent) has been demarcated so far, the report stated.
Amid this gloomy scenario where forest wealth is being looted without an iota of fear among smugglers, Forest Protection Force (FPF) has been spending most of the time in fresh constructions and getting salaries released on time. Nakas and Forest Check Posts (FCP) have become thing of the past especially in timber smuggling prone areas. Callousness of the officials of FPF can be seen from the fact that against the sanction to establish 30 FPF Gama Units i.e one each in 26 territorial Forest Divisions of the State; and two each at HQ, Jammu and Srinagar, so far 24 have been established leaving yet to establish 06 FPF Gama Units viz, Marwah, Bhaderwah, Ramnagar, Mahore, Nowshera, and Ramban.
Interestingly, it is these areas where timber smuggling is regarded as highest. Marwah, Bhaderwah, Ramnagar, Mahore, Nowshera, and Ramban are the areas where even a minor inquiry would unveil an unholy nexus between officials of FPF, forest department and state forest corporation (SFC). Delay in establishing gamma units in these areas is being resented by locals, who have been repeatedly knocking at the door of Chief Minister's grievance cell against the loot and plunder of forests.
Cabinet had approved for purchase of 128 Vehicles and 120 Motorcycles, out of which in the past 12 years only 44 Vehicles including 03 vehicles have been transferred from IWDP Department to FPF vide Govt. order No. 322-FST of 2011 dated 23.08.2011 and 101 Motorcycles have been procured thereby leaving a deficiency of 84 Vehicles and 19 Motorcycles. This means that only 34.37% Vehicles and 84.16% Motorcycles have been procured.
Even the vehicles purchased by the department are not used for patrolling but for leisure trips by the officials of Forest Protection Force (FPF), said an official. He stressed that of the 44 vehicles with the department, most remain with the officials and their families. They added that FPF officials have never bothered to exert pressure on the ground staff to keep a stringent check on the loot and plunder of forest wealth across Jammu and Kashmir.
Forest Minister Mian Altaf has been making consistent efforts to put forceful stop on the forest loot and plunder but officials have failed to deliver on ground, said sources. They maintained that until the department does not make the officials of FPF accountable, things are unlikely to change. It needs to be mentioned here that establishment of the Forest Protection Force was sanctioned by the state cabinet as per the P&D Department Order No 129 PD of 1996 dated 04-12-1996 for Rs. 37.24 Crore including, Vehicles, Building and other infrastructure to be completed by March 2002. However, this could not be achieved due to paucity of funds and is being followed up with cost escalations.
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