Jammu: Jammu and Kashmir Forest Minister Javed Rana on Wednesday reached out to people affected by the recent anti-encroachment drive in forest areas on the outskirts of Jammu city and said two separate inquiry committees have been constituted to probe alleged violations of the Forest Rights Act (FRA).
Police and forest department teams on Tuesday carried out a major anti-encroachment drive in the Raika Bandi forest belt in the lower Shivalik range on the outskirts of Jammu city, demolishing more than 30 structures and retrieving nearly 60 kanals of forest land valued at several crores, officials said.
Rana said the inquiries were ordered under the directions of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and asserted that action would be taken against those found responsible for any excesses.
“For the first time, an inquiry commission has been set up regarding the hardships you have suffered. Before this, no such inquiry commission had ever been formed,” Rana told reporters here.
The minister said that one committee has been constituted under the tribal affairs department to examine alleged violations of tribal and forest dwellers’ rights under the FRA, while another inquiry has been ordered within the forest department.
“Those who committed excesses against you will be brought under the law. If the proper legal procedure was not followed, then those responsible will face consequences — no matter how powerful or senior they may be,” he said.
Rana said that the inquiries would determine whether the prescribed legal procedure under the FRA was followed before carrying out the demolition drive.
“The inquiry is examining where violations took place, who the responsible people are, and if these people came under the Forest Rights Act, then why they were not granted their rights till now,” he said.
Claiming that several senior officials, departments and the Lok Bhawan had initially expressed lack of knowledge about the demolition operation, Rana said that he had sought details from the administration, the forest department and even from the Lok Bhavan after the incident came to light.
“When I tried to seek information from the senior officials of our department, I was told that they had no knowledge of the matter. When I called the Lok Bhavan, I was informed from there as well that they too had no knowledge of it,” he said.
The minister maintained that tribals, nomads and forest dwellers are protected under the Forest Rights Act and cannot be evicted without following due legal procedure.
“Even if we assume that these people are living on forest land, if they are tribals, nomads, or forest dwellers, then no power in the world can remove them under the Forest Rights Act,” he said.
Referring to court orders cited in support of the anti-encroachment drive, Rana said even judicial directions mandated adherence to due procedure in cases involving forest dwellers and tribal communities.
“I have read those judgments myself. They strengthen and empower the rights of forest dwellers under the Forest Rights Act. They make it clear that no one can touch these people without following the due procedure established by law,” he said.
Rana also appealed against attempts to communalise the issue, saying people from all communities were standing with the affected families.
“This is not a Hindu-Muslim issue. Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and Christians are all standing with you. Some people want to give it a communal colour, but we will not allow them to succeed,” he said.
The minister further said the government, as a welfare state, had a responsibility towards poor and marginalised people living without shelter, irrespective of whether they were covered under the FRA.
