Horticulture funds ‘wasted, misused’ for raising illegal structures
Taking serious cognizance of the story published by Kashmir Despatch on encroachment of wildlife land by senior National Conference leader Mubarak Gul’ son, the Lakes and Waterways Development Authority (LAWDA) and the Wildlife Department on Saturday morning razed the illegal structures to ground inside the wild conservation reserve at Shalimar in Srinagar.
Well placed sources in LAWDA told Kashmir Despatch that a squad of around 20 men from the enforcement wing of the department was deputed along with the staff of wildlife department to the spot where Younis Gul son of former Speaker of J&K Legislative Assembly Mubarak Gul had raised illegal structures.
The team led by a dedicated enforcement officer Irfan Ahmad, reached the spot in wee hours on Saturday and razed the structures including a building which was constructed by a former revenue official under the garb of Horticulture Scheme launched under Prime Minister’s Development Programme (PMDP) in 2017-18.
Not only this one-story building was razed but the enforcement team demolished a plinth of another building which was about to be raised without any proper permission and in violation of the J&K Wildlife Conservation (protection) Act 1978. This plinth was owned by Younis Gul, sources informed the Kashmir Despatch.
The enforcement team also visited the adjoining areas and demolished a few more structures which were coming up in violation of the rules.
Sources revealed to Kashmir Despatch, a hundreds of Kanals of wildlife conservation reserve land has been encroached by the big guns including politicians, top civil and police officers who have during their active services misused their official positions to grab the forest and wildlife land.
“Since there is no revenue demarcation of wildlife and forest land in Nishat and Shalimar areas except for natural demarcations, the revenue records have been grossly manipulated to benefit these top officers besides some politicians who have been hand-in-glove in these crimes,” a whistleblower revealed to Kashmir Despatch.
Pertinently, today’s LAWDA action has exposed another angle to the scam which reveals that the funds of centrally sponsored scheme disbursed by the J&K horticulture department under PMDP have not only been wasted but have been misused for raising illegal constructions within the forest and wildlife conservation reserve lands.
“Since these centrally sponsored huts have temporary plaques fixed to them on front exhibiting government ownership many of the encroachers find it perfect way to shield their misdeeds,” sources informed this newspaper.
When contacted, Aijaz Ahmad, director horticulture Kashmir told Kashmir Despatch that he will look into the matter. “Since you have brought this issue into my notice, I will look into this issue and find the ground reality.”
It is important to mention here, that Kashmir Despatch published a detailed story on Saturday regarding the encroachments found in wildlife conservation reserve land at Shalimar area.
Taking advantage of last year’s law and order situation and current COVID pandemic, son of Mubarak Gul, a senior National Conference leader and former speaker of J&K legislative assembly had allegedly encroached upon wildlife conservation reserve land at Shalimar and raised some constructions in brazen violation of norms.
Documents in possession of Kashmir Despatch, revealed that Younis Gul son of Mubarak Gul has unauthorized raised some concrete structures at Dossani Nala, Bonigam Shalimar which falls within Brain-Nishat wildlife conservation reserve and also falls within the jurisdiction of LAWDA.
A letter was shot by the wildlife warden central division Srinagar to vice chairman LAWDA seeking demolition of illegal construction at Nishat Conservation reserve. “As reported by the Range Officer, Dachigam that Sh. Younis Gul son of Mubarak Gul resident of Srinagar has un-authorizedly raised some concrete structure at Dossani Nala, Bonigam-Shalimar which falls within Brain-Nishat wildlife conservation reserve and also falls within LAWDA jurisdiction,” reads the letter number WLWC/Estt/2020-21/787-89 dated July 22, 2020.
Through this letter, the wildlife warden central division Srinagar had sought directions from the VC LAWDA to his subordinate office (enforcement wing) to initiate cognizance in the matter.
Pertinently as per the J&K Wildlife (Protection) Act 1978, no person is allowed to destroy or damage or divert the habitat (conservation reserve land) or even enhance the flow of water into or outside the conservation reserve not to talk of raising concrete structures.
“Provided that any minor forest produce so removed for the betterment of the conservation reserve, may be used for meeting the personal bonafide needs of the people living in and around the conservation reserve and shall not be used for commercial purposes, either by the government or the recipient local people,” reads the J&K Wildlife (Protection) Act 1978.
A senior officer in the department of forest while talking to Kashmir Despatch said, “When the government itself is not authorized to use the minor produce from the conservation reserve for commercial gains, how, can the government allow the brazen violation of wildlife norms by facilitating concrete structures within the wildlife reserves puts a question mark on the J&K government’s functioning.”
Sources said that there is a deep rooted nexus involving black sheep within LAWDA, Revenue, Police, Wildlife and Forest departments who are hand in glove in facilitating huge encroachments on wildlife and forest land in the green belt area which falls within the jurisdiction of LAWDA.
When asked about this issue, Mubarak Gul, National Conference senior leader and former Speaker had feigned complete ignorance. Gul on Friday evening told Kashmir Despatch, “I don’t know about this issue. I think I will have to check why our names have been mentioned in the letter shot by the wildlife department. There is some confusion which needs to be removed.”
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