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| After Mehbooba’s warning, admin suspends anti-encroachment drive at Pahalgam | | | Saahil Suhail
Early Times Report
Anantnag, Nov 18: The authorities have reportedly decided to suspend anti-encroachment drive at famous tourist spot Pahalgam days after former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti warned them, Early Times learnt on Wednesday.
According to reports, the LG’s office has sought a detailed report from the concerned department on the day former Chief Minister and president Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Mehbooba Mufti visited Lidroo Village of Pahalgam to express sympathy and solidarity with the families whose temporary structures (Kothas) were demolished by a joint team of PDA, Forest, Wildlife and Revenue Department.
Although the departments have clarified and conveyed to Raj Bhawan that no Gujjar and Bakerwal community family was displaced during the drive, however still the administration has decided to move ahead cautiously. The departments have maintained they had initiated anti-encroachment drive at Pahalgam in compliance to the High Court directions that were issued on 12th of last month in a OWP(PIL) 484/2010 titled “Pahalgam Peoples Welfare Organization Versus State of J&K and Others”
They said that the notices were served to encroachers by the Forest Department, Wildlife Department and Revenue Department and as per the norms anti-encroachment and eviction drive was launched jointly by all the concerned departments.
“On 7th of November 2020 at Mamal village ( Wildlife area) in which about 120 kanals of wildlife land duly identified by Wildlife Department was retrieved from the encroachers and 1 Dhoka belonging to Abdul Khaliq Khanday S/o Mohd Akbar Khanday R/O Mamal Pahalgam who was using the Dhoka and land for agriculture purposes only as he is the resident of Village Mamal and 1 hut belonging to Vijay Dhar and was demolished,” they said.
Similarly, second anti encroachment drive was conducted on 9th of November 2020 in the Forest area of village Lidroo Pahalgam and more than 200 kanals of Forest land identified by the Forest Department was retrieved.
During the drive, they said, three Kothas belonging to namely Juma Khatana S/O Haji Sheriya Khatana, Mohd Shafi Khatana S/O Mohd Akbar Khatana and Abdullah Gorsee SIL Nazim Gorsee were demolished as trio had already constructed concrete residential houses on Forest Land at Lidroo but in order to encroach more Forest Land they had also constructed these three Kothas at a different location in the same village.
The 3rd anti encroachment drive, they said, was launched on 10th of November 2020 at Aru Pahalgam in which more than 700 kanals of Government land was retrieved from encroachers and two concrete structures were also demolished.
The officials’ claim that during these drives they have retrieved about 1035 kanals of Government, Forest and Wildlife land from the encroachers
Apparently taking cue from the former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti’s visit and her statement, the authorities have decided to suspend the anti-encroachment drive.
“This can also prove counterproductive for us as it has potential to vitiate the atmosphere so the schedule stands delayed,” an officer said, however wishing anonymity.
“As Chief Minister I had ordered that they (Gujjar and Bakerwal community) be not targeted or harmed as they are permanent residents. So far they imposed all black laws here but the central laws that may benefit poor like Forest Act isn’t being implemented instead a drive has been started against Gujjar and Bakerwal community to harres them in Jammu now same is being done here at Pahalgam,” Mehboba Mufti said, adding it may have serious repercussions.
On Wednesday, the National Conference leaders visited the area and demanded action against the officers who demolished structures. |
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