PCCF reviews progress of anti-encroachment drive at Jammu

Jammu : A high level inter-departmental coordination meeting of Revenue, Police, JDA and Forest officials was Saturday convened by Principal Chief Conservator Forests (PCCF), Suresh Chugh here to review the progress for retrieval of encroached forest land in the winter capital.
The PCCF asked the forest and Police departments to maintain the list of habitual land grabbers so that dossiers may be prepared and such encroachers may be dealt under relevant sections of PSA. Regional Wildlife Warden Tahir Shawl presented the issues pertaining to protected areas specially Gharana and Ramnagar Wildlife Sanctuary.
PCCF asked the concerned to remove forest encroachment and submit a weekly progress report.
The PCCF stressed on keeping close check on the attempts of forest land encroachment in an around Jammu city. He impressed upon Revenue, Police and Forest officials to work in tandem to tackle the forest land encroachment cases in and around the city.
The Divisional Commissioner Jammu Sanjeev Verma assured joint enforcement to tackle the encroachment by utilizing services of Revenue/ JDA officials wherever necessary.
He asked the forest officials to share the details of vulnerable areas with Revenue and Police department so that enhanced protection and patrolling is ensured in such areas.
Further Divisional Commissioner, Jammu directed for constituting Special Anti- encroachment Cell comprising DFO, Jammu, ACR Jammu SDMSouth, Joint Director Forest Protection Force, SDPO and JDA officials to monitor and report the progress in weekly interval. Regarding issues of Illicit fards/ registration in Forest land, it was decided that the revenue officials will carry out enquiry into such cases to book the offenders.
DIG Jammu Kathua Range, B S Tuti assured co-operation in containing attempts of encroachment whenever reported to the Police. He impressed upon Forest officials to use latest Google Earth Imageries and other lT software for monitoring cases on regular interval.
Earlier, CCF Jammu Sameer Bharti emphasized on the importance of demarcation /construction of Boundary Pillars for saving valuable forest land and positive reinforcement by desisting such attempts from the encroachers. Conservator of Forests, East Circle, Jammu Mohan Daas presented a detailed overview of progress achieved so far in respect of protection of Forest areas by way of Demarcation/ fencing and sensitive / vulnerable Forest areas facing immediate threat of encroachment and future strategy for containment in a preemptive manner.
Among others the meeting was attended by ADC Jammu, KantaRukwal, JD FPF, Rafi Ahmed, DFO Jammu, Sat Paul, CF West Dr. Jatinder, DFO Urban Jammu Anup Soni, Shweta Deonia DFO MFP, DFO wild life, Amit Sharma, Tehsildar JDA Vijay Kumar and senior functionaries of concerned departments.
Meanwhile, the PCCF inspected the progress in Forest Diversion case in respect of Mahamaya Forest for development of Cable car Project followed by field inspection of Dwara area retrieved from the land grabbers. He also issued directions for immediate fencing of retrieved forest land on urgent basis.