Poonch, Jun 29 (GNS): Authorities have erected fence on approximately one-hundred kanals of land recently retrieved after a massive anti-encroachment drive in city suburbs, here in this frontier district of Jammu division.
An official told GNS that acting on directions from Commissioner Secretary Forests, after frequent complaints, the department in the supervision of concerned Executive Magistrate swung into action to retrieve the land with active participation of Forest Protection Force (FPF), social forestry team, assisted by the local police.
During the drive, as per the official, around one hundred kanals were retrieved from the clutches of some unscrupulous people in Khasra Number 485/1 at Kamsar Banpat in city area of district. The retrieved land has been fenced by the authorities now, even as the official remarked that “a major chunk of land is still open in the area.”
The social forestry in the area, as per the official, was closed in 1992 and after the complaints received, DFO Poonch Mohan Choudhary (IFS) conducted a joint ‘Nishandehi’ (Demarcation) last week, followed by an inspection note submitted by the field staff to district administration.
The report submitted saw a prompt action from DC Poonch who deputed Executive Magistrate to the spot alongside SSP Poonch Ramesh Angral for police assistance even as Ranjeev sharma DD FPF and Navid Iqbal DFO Social forestry were asked to provide field staffs to ensure a peaceful drive.
The District Magistrate has in the meantime directed Revenue department to cancel all the ‘illegal records’ pertaining to Khasra Number 485/1, the official said.
Meanwhile, concerned DFO has remarked that the land owing to its prime location is suitable for site-seeing and would be considered for development of an ‘Urban Vann’ in Poonch City. (GNS)
