Waris Fayaz
Sopore, Aug 19 (KNS) : Although the Union Territory government has launched a massive drive to evict encroachers from forest land in Jammu and Kashmir, however administration has yet to receive forest land at Ningli area of Tarzua in North Kashmir's Sopore
Patron Central Auqaf Tarzoo, Aijaz Ahmed Dar while talking to the news agency - Kashmir News Service (KNS) said, that the forest land located at Ningli Tarzua has been permanently grabbed by some locals while the officials of the concerned department have shut their eyes to the criminal act for reasons best known to them.
"Permanent constructions of houses on the forest land have been deliberately ignored as the officials of the department seem in league with the encroachers," alleged Central Auqaf Tarzoo.
They said that despite their repeated pleas, the concerned department has failed to take any appropriate action against the land grabbers.
Earlier, this month locals of Tarzoo and Darnambal had approached the concerned Deputy Commissioner Baramulla's office in this regard of which, the Tehsildar Khoie was asked to take appropriate necessary action after perusal of revenue record by the deputy commissioners office in a letter DCB/SQ/1956, Dated: 08/08/2022.
However, according to the Central Auqaf - representational body of Tarzoo and Darnambal, said that no action has been witnessed on the ground level so far.
When KNS contacted Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Shabir Ahmed , he said, " encroachment is decades old."
The official however said land belongs to the Irrigation and Flood Control department.
Meanwhile, Tehsildar Khoie when contacted told the news agency - KNS, that the land has been encroached and within days it will be removed.(KNS)