Ramban :Deputy Commissioner Ramban Mohammad Alyas Khan Friday chaired a meeting of the District Level Committee (DLC) constituted to execute eviction of encroachments from forest land in the district.
The meeting was attended by Additional Deputy Commissioner Varunjeet Singh Charak; Assistant Commissioner Revenue Shokat Hayat Mattoo; Chief Planning Officer Dr. Shakeeb Ahmed Rather; Divisional Forest Officer Anil V John; DySP Headquarters Waqar Bhat and other officers from stakeholder departments. DFO Batote and Tehsildars joined the meeting through video conferencing.
Detailed discussions were held regarding issues related to forest land, the extent of encroachments, procedures for removal of encroachments and the overall action plan for carrying out the eviction drive in an effective and coordinated manner.
Reviewing the ongoing efforts aimed at safeguarding forest land, the Deputy Commissioner, stressed the need for close coordination among the Revenue, Forest, Police and Wildlife departments to ensure smooth implementation of the eviction process on the ground. Officers of the Revenue and Police Department were directed to extend full cooperation for timely completion of the exercise.
It was informed that a total of 2,176 hectares of forest land has so far been retrieved from encroachment in the district.
The Deputy Commissioner further directed the DFO Ramban and Batote concerned departments to prepare a weekly schedule with clear targets for removal of encroachments from forest land to accelerate the ongoing drive and circulate it among the concerned officers of Revenue and Police department.
The meeting also discussed issues related to forest clearances for developmental works being executed under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana and those by PWD with the Deputy Commissioner directing timely resolution of pending matters in accordance with rules and procedures. The DC directed DFO Batote and Ramban to identify locations for the construction of forest huts in their respective divisions.
