Govt sold reserve forest land in Doon, says Cong
Dehradun, June 19 -- The Opposition Congress on Wednesday accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of selling the land in Dehradun's Khalanga reserve forest, following concerns raised by environmental activists and local residents about a construction activity in the area.
Some activists shared a purported video of an iron gate being installed deep in the forest area on Friday. The next day, the forest department issued a statement, saying a joint survey of the land will be carried out if the construction was carried out on forest land or private land. HT has seen the video but couldn't independently verify its authenticity.
Meanwhile, leader of opposition in the Uttarakhand assembly and senior Congress leader Yashpal Arya said, "The encroachment and illegal construction on 40 bighas of reserve forest land in the Khalanga forest area of Dehradun is a serious concern. This is a grave case of corruption. It seems the government has sold the forest land. Land mafias are eyeing this ecologically sensitive zone in the Nalapani area to build camps and resorts."
"Shockingly, the land within the reserve forest was leased to an individual under false claims of ownership, and construction had begun. If allowed, such development could endanger trees estimated to be nearly 5,000 years old," Arya said.
He further said, "Khalanga forest holds ecological and historical significance, being near the Khalanga War Memorial, which honours the bravery of Gurkha soldiers in the Anglo-Nepalese War of 1814. Despite the forest department's frequent action against forest dwellers like the Van Gujjars in the area, it failed to detect this large-scale illegal activity."
Arya demanded strict action against land mafias, corrupt officials, and influential figures involved in the case. He also called for a high-level, time-bound investigation to "uncover the extent of forest land being illegally encroached upon in Uttarakhand".
In response, BJP state media in-charge Manveer Singh Chauhan said that the forest land of the state is completely safe and the mafia will not be able to encroach on an inch of land in any area including Khalanga.
Reacting to the Arya's allegations, Chauhan said that when the matter of forest land came to light in Khalanga, the forest department immediately inspected the site, and then forest minister Subodh Uniyal ordered an inquiry into the matter.
"At the same time, orders have been given to investigate the matter of tree cutting. If it is found that forest land is encroached upon, strict action will be taken against culprits," he said.
He said chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami brought a law against "land jihad" to remove encroachment from forest land, then he also brought a strict land law to protect valuable lands.
"So far over 6,000 hectares of encroachment have been cleared from forest land. At the same time, an investigation is going on across the state against the purchase of land against the rules. In Dehradun alone, more than 900 bighas of land have been reclaimed by the state government," he said....
To read the full article or to get the complete feed from this publication, please
Contact Us.