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| CCF puts stone crusher’s ‘distance certificate’ in abeyance after 10-years | | | Early Times Report
Jammu, June 18: Taking cognizance of the news story published in Early Times about a stone crusher operating in forest area in compartment no.52 in Purmandal range of Samba forest division, Chief Conservator of Forest Jammu East Circle has put in abeyance the distance certificate granted to the stone crusher installed nearly 10-years ago.
The Early Times in its June 8 edition had published a detailed report titled, “Compartment 52,53 suffer massive damages due to excavation. Stone Crusher operates inside Samba forest”, following which the Divisional Forest Officer Samba had issued a clarification, claiming that there was no encroachment in the forest division.
But on 14th of June, Chief Conservator of Forests East Circle vide letter number CFE/J/Stone Crusher/Leave/87-90, shot a letter to DFO Samba, stating that after the publication of news story by this newspaper, he had visited the spot on June 8 to ascertain the ground situation.
The stone crusher, according to a distance certificate, issued by Divisional Forest Officer Jammu vide letter number 1436-38 dated 3/6/2021 was more than one kilometer away from the forest boundary. “During the visit by undersigned (CCF) it was observed that the distance of the same stone crusher from the nearest forest boundary may be less than one kilometre”.
It further reads, “Therefore the distance certificate issued by Divisional Forest Officer Jammu is hereby kept in abeyance while you (DFO Samba) are directed to verify the distance of the said stone crusher from the nearest forest boundary again and prepare KMZ file and report for further action”.
The Stone crusher was granted “distance certificate” in 2011 by DFO Jammu and for the last over 10 years, the crusher has been carrying out its operations. “It’s a welcome step that incumbent CCF Jammu personally visited the spot and issued directions to constitute an enquiry committee to ascertain the actual distance of stone crusher from the forest boundary,” an official said.
Though DFO Samba has constituted an enquiry committee headed by Saleem Malik I/C Range officer Purmandal and comprised of Parveen Kumar concerned BO Purmandal, Anwar Mohammad BO Balole, Naihat Ali I/c BO Pocholi and Anil Kumar Forest guard as members. The committee has been directed to report within four days of the constitution but observers have questioned the credibility of the committee.
“If the distance will be found below 1 kilometre, these very officials will be held responsible and action under rules will automatically be taken against some of these officials. Some of these officials could be held responsible for dereliction of duties as the stone crusher has been operating for the past one decade and they have failed to act against it by submitting a distance report”, an official said.
The Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF) should constitute an enquiry committee of higher officials to ascertain all the allegations and damage caused to forest land, the official added. |
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