Budgam July 22 (KNS): Chairman District Development Council Budgam Nazir Ahmad Khan has appealed Lt Governor Manoj Sinha to constitute a high level inquiry team of Forest , Tribal Affairs and Revenue Department to look into alleged encroachment of highland pastureland in Doodh Ganga forest range of Budgam district. He has also suggested that a Maha Gram Sabha of several villages be held so that pastureland is distributed among different pastoralist communities for grazing purposes.
Details available reveal that DDC Chairman Budgam has sent a written communication to LG Manoj Sinha on Thursday requesting him to intervene in the alleged land grab in Chaskani Naad pastureland in Doodh Ganga forest range of Budgam. Nazir Ahmad Khan in his letter told LG Sinha that a delegation of people mostly from the Scheduled Tribe (ST) , Gujjar community of Branwar , Jabbad , Neegu villages in Budgam District came to him regarding denial of the grazing rights to their sheep in pasture land of Chaskani Naad which is located at an altitude of 4000 meters in Doodh Ganga Range of Pir Panjal Forest Division Budgam .
The letter from DDC Chairman Budgam reads
“The villagers allege that an influential family from the same village who are into Govt Jobs, Politics, Business have captured around 10,000 kanals of grassland in Chaskani Naad bahak in Doodh Ganga forest range. They allegedly take money as ransom from grazers especially some Bakerwal families of Rajouri and Poonch allowing them to graze their animals “
Chairman DDC Budgam in his letter mentioned that Chaskani Naad pastureland (bahak) originally belongs to the villagers of Branwar Jabbad , Neegu and adjoining villages and should have been technically allotted to them under Forest Rights Act for grazing purposes in summers.
The letter further reads :
“The influential family is misleading the Civil Administration , Forest Department , Police and even Judiciary by filing wrong statements and around 70 to 80 other families from Branwar, Neegu , Jabbad villages whose sheep are right now in the grasslands of Chazkani Naad are living under constant fear and threat. They are being asked to leave the place by misquoting a court order from Sub Judge Chadoora. The court order says that no interference should caused into use and utilization of pastureland in Chaskani Naad, but it never says that other party cannot use the massive grassland of Chaskani Naad which is spread over thousands of acres of land (aprox 5 to 6 sq kms).
DDC Chairman Budgam further told LG Manoj Sinha in his written communication that 5o to 60 Gujjar families of Branwar, Jabbad , Neegu plus some Kashmiri families as well whose sheep are being grazed in the area are not at all causing any interference and in-fact are using their own traditional pastureland.Chairman DDC Budgam requested LG Manoj Sinha that a high level inquiry team be constituted with members from Forest , Revenue and Tribal Affairs Department so that reality is brought before the public and harassment of the poor Gujjar community of Branwar is stopped.
“The said grassland be also allotted to Gujjars , Bakerwals and Chopans under Community Forest Rights (CFR) for grazing purpose in summers and let a Maha Gram Sabha in the village be constituted for the same under the guidance District and Sub Division Level Forest Committee of Budgam as per the Forest Rights Act 2006” reads the letter
Meanwhile when contacted Fayaz Ahmad a local resident of Branwar who belongs to Gujjar community & whose sheep are also in the pastureland said that he along with other 50 families are ready to give their sheep to Chopans for grazing , but the other party from Chowdhary family who are claiming their right on hundreds and thousands of kanals of pasture land in Chaskaninar should also be asked to leave the place and not take any money from grazers. " Let the Chopans take care of sheep of the entire area from next year " he said.(KNS)