Report of boundary verification likely to be submitted on Monday
- The committee investigating illegal Khair tree felling faces delays, despite a five-month probe.
- Officials are close to finishing the forest boundary verification, with the report likely to be submitted on Monday.
- Outraged activists seek prompt accountability for officials involved, urging quick disclosure of findings.
- Thousands of Khair trees were reportedly felled illegally, disrupting J&K’s ecological balance.
- Calls persist for immediate accountability, emphasizing the swift release of the report to uphold rule of law.
jj correspondent
Jammu, Jan 10: Nearly five months have elapsed since the government, under the directive of Dheeraj Gupta IAS, Principal Secretary to J&K Government, formed a committee, as per Order No 161-JK(FST) of 2023 dated 08/08/2023 for detailed enquiry to look into the complaints into the alleged illegal felling of Khair Trees in village Thandi Choi of Kalidhar Range in Jammu forest division. The Inquiry committee, constituted with Sarvesh Rai (then Principal Chief Conservator of Forests & CEO J&K Campa, now PCCF/Chief Wildlife Warden), Rakesh Kumar (then Director Ecology, Environment and Remote Sensing Department, J&K, also holding additional charge of CCF, Settlement & Demarcation, J&K), and J. Frankoi IFS (then director forest protection force, J&K, now Chief Conservator of Forests Jammu) has earlier submitted the preliminary enquiry report vide No. PCCF/CAMPA/2023-24/1344/1187 dated 18.05.2023.
The complaint highlighted the unabated illegal felling of Khair trees in Thandi Choi and neighbouring villages. The committee was given a three-month timeframe to submit its report, but the final report is still pending.
According to reliable sources, the demarcation and verification of forest boundaries by Revenue and Forest officials has nearly been concluded. The finalized report is anticipated to be presented to the Forest Department on Monday. However, complainant’ express frustration, alleging delays by certain officials and anticipating potential repercussions upon the report’s public release.
As per Tehsildar Narender Raina the final report of demarcating forest boundaries will be submitted to Forest Department very soon.
It was discovered that officials, in collaboration with the wood mafia, surpassed the Khair Management Pland and SRO 111 regulations, engaging in rampant felling beyond designated private lands, by felling Khairwood Trees numbering thousands, causing a substantial ecological imbalance in the region.
Activists are vehemently demanding the immediate submission of the final report and accountability for the implicated officials. They emphasize the necessity of punishing those complicit in exploiting J&K’s natural resources, particularly through the illicit cutting of Khair Wood Trees.
Earlier, in response to the various complaints, the government formed a Inquiry committee and on basis of the preliminary enquiry report government attached Range Officer Pawan Sharma (as per Government Order No 163-JK(FST) of 2023 dated 08/08/2023). Other than Range officer 11 more forest officials of Kalidhar Range were attached (as per Government Order Number 187 of 2023 dated 10/08/2023). Later, while concerned Patwari was suspended, Romesh Kumar, Tehsildar of Kharah Balli, was also attached (as per Government Order No 161-JK (Rev) of 2023 dated 27/09/2023), pending inquiry.
Information obtained from reliable sources indicates that the revenue team is on the brink of completing the forest boundary verification and is expected to submit its report by Monday. However, vigilant activists monitoring the case press for the immediate release of the final report, urging swift identification and legal action against the implicated officers to prevent bureaucratic delays from hampering justice.
Reports divulge extensive Khair tree felling by the contractors, predominantly outside designated private lands. Although regulations permit cutting only on Malkiyat Land (SRO 111), precise land delineation in Thandi Choi remains unresolved.
The million-dollar question now remains whether the government will make the report public and punish the responsible officers and establish rule of law in J&K.
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