J&K revenue officials booked for forest land encroachment

Three revenue officials were among five people booked by the state vigilance department in a case of encroachment of forest land in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district.
"A verification was conducted by the State Vigilance Commission (SVC) through Deputy Commissioner Rajouri and Additional Deputy Commissioner Rajouri into the allegations that forest land situated in village Kotli Kalaban, Tehsil and District Rajouri had been unauthorisedly occupied by inhabitants of the village and after cutting trees, the same has been brought under cultivation," an SVO official said.
The suspected revenue officials had attested the mutations under cabinet order showing possession of the encroachers since 1957-58, though the land had been encroached recently, he said.

During the course of verification, it was found that the illegal entries were made in the state land under the occupation of Forest Department, which were subsequently expunged and record set right, but the illegal encroachers continued to be in occupation of the land and the concerned officials of Forest Department did nothing to evacuate the encroached land, he said.
A case has been registered in SVO in Jammu on the prima facie establishment of offences on the part of the accused public servants and others, he said.