Eviction Row – Demolish influential leaders’ houses on forest land first: SSC

The Jammu & Kashmir Samaj Sudhar Committee (SSC) has asked the government to demolish the houses illegally built by influential leaders on forestland before touching poor people’s properties.

Speaking at a press conference here, Mohd Yousuf Wani, State President of the Committee, said they are not opposed to retrieving forestlands by evicting the unlawful encroachers.

He said that influential political leaders have occupied forest lands and have constructed their residential houses there. “Government should demolish such residential houses and then other area inhabited by poor people”, he said alleging that Forest Minister Bali Bhagat has constructed his residential houses on forest land at Jammu as well as Kishtwar.

He further said those areas which have been converted into residential colonies like Bathindi, Sunjwan need to be brought under Jammu Municipal Corporation and such colonies need to be regularized which will be in the best interests of the general masses.

Meanwhile, he said that in the Transport department violations of rules and regulations have taken place “as those candidates who were not deserving employment have been engaged while as those deserving employment under SRO 43 have been ignored and deprived of their rights”.