Poonch district administration fails to take action against illegal constructions and encroachments

Poonch district administration fails to take action against illegal constructions and encroachments

POONCH TODAY NEWS

POONCH: Through press releases, the district administration always shows its effectiveness on the ground, but the silence of the administration on illegal encroachment on thousands of kanals of state/Kahcharai/forest lands and illegal occupation of some government buildings remained a most debatable topic for years, but none of the deputy commissioners mustered the guts to take action against the wrongdoers.

However, some attempts were made to cancel the records that were changed with a malafide intention by some tainted revenue officials over the years. The issue also got the attention of LG’s administration two years ago, in which LG expressed his displeasure against the Poonch administration for its failure to free all such lands. LG also sought a detailed report from the Poonch administration over illegal constructions and encroachments on various lands and buildings, but after more than two years, nothing concrete has been done on the subject, and it raises a big question mark on the intentions of the Poonch administration. Has the elected government directed the Poonch administration not to take action against the illegal encroachers of various government assets? It is pertinent to mention here that the issue of illegal encroachments and constructions at various places remained in the media for years, but some officers of the Poonch administration never took action against them because of the reportedly hand-in-glove influence of a few revenue and administrative officers with those who are involved in such illegal acts. The horrible 2014 flood and the massive devastation caused by it are still in the minds of the people, but over the years, massive illegal constructions have taken place in the riverbed areas. Even water bodies, culverts, and irrigation canals have been encroached upon without any action from the administration. Locals have appealed to the J&K government to announce an inquiry commission to identify those officers and revenue officials who have played a wrong role over the years in allowing illegal construction, encroachment of state/Kahcharai lands, and encroachment of forest lands. Three years ago, DC Poonch asked revenue officials to show their monthly performance related to the retrieval of state/kahcharai lands, encroachments, and illegal construction, but nobody knows what has happened to that order of DC Poonch. Due to the poor response of the Poonch administration, the majority of government lands have been encroached. A high-level inquiry is needed from the J&K government to know the exact details of encroachment on state/Kahcharai/forest lands in addition to illegal occupation of the government buildings at various places and also encroachment around ancient monuments in the Poonch district for further necessary action against the lawbreakers.