The Forest Division has further issued eviction notices to the “unauthorized occupants” of the forest land in various areas of Jammu Kashmir.
Speaking to The Kashmiriyat Sources said that notices have been issued to the members of the indigenous Gujjar and Bakerwal community in the Kupwara area.
A notice issued to Iqbal Khan son of Ayoub Khan, who is a resident of the Drangyari area in Chowkibal of North Kashmr’s Kupwara district Kathua district, which has been accessed by The Kashmiriyat stated that Iqbal was “occupying” 0.9 kanal land in Block Ramhal forest range of Kupwara.
The Divisional Forest Officer, in his notice claimed that Iqbal Khan has “illegally” raised construction on “Encroaced Forest Land” in the area.
“In pursuance of section 79-A of the Indian Forest Act, 1927 and sub-section 1 of Section 4 of the Public Premises Act, 1971, empowers the undersigned for ejection of encroached forest land and forfeiture of the crop or any building or other work construction on the Forest land,” the notice further read.
The Notice has asked him to show cause within ten days.
Mohammed Afsar Khan, another resident also said that he had been sent a similar notice and asked to vacate from the place within ten days. “We lived in low-lying areas, however, the Government of the time in 2005 when our houses were damaged during the earthquake, allotted us new accommodations, and now all of a sudden, they are asking us to vacate our houses,” Mohammed Afsar said.
Notices have been sent to around a dozen families in the area.
Earlier in Ganderbal several families in Halpati, Haknar in Tehsil Gund Ganderbal had been sent notices asking them to evict from the forest area.
Meanwhile notices have also been served to around dozens of families in Naristan area of Tral in South Kashmir’s Pulwama district asking them to evacuate the ‘illegally occupied’ land in the area.
In Doban area of Chadoora in Budgam in Central Kashmir The Kashmiriyat has heard from locals that notices have been served to two families asking them to evacuate from the forest land.
Such notices have evoked widespread condemnation from the Gujjar community and also evokes fear among the indigenous community which says it has been residing in the forests for several generations.
Seventeen families in Mamal Wudar of Pahalgam have also been notified to evict the forest lands.
Shabir Ahmed one local resident told The Kashmiriyat, “We do not have an alternative location to go to. We have known the forest, on one end the Government speaks of preserving the indigenous communities and on the other, it is planing for our mass evacuation.”
President of Gujjar Bakarwal Youth Welfare Conference Jammu Kashmir, Zahid Parwaz Choudhary said that such measures after saying that the Administration wants to implement the Forest Rights Act 2006 only mean that the administration is trying to befool people.
He said the admin should hasten in implementation of the Forest Rights Act and should direct other departments to stop the forcible and illegal eviction of the indigenous Gujjar and bakerwal Community.
In Pahalgam, earlier this month, the administration during, what it called, ‘Anti Encroachment’ drive demolished various structures belonging to the nomad community, three structures were also demolished in the Lidroo area.