Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 18 Jun: State BJP’s media in-charge Manveer Singh Chauhan has asserted that Uttarakhand’s forest land remains well-protected and that mafia elements will not be allowed to encroach upon even an inch of it. He was reacting to the viral reports regarding efforts on the part of land mafia encroaching upon forest area in Khalanga in Dehradun and on felling of trees.
Chauhan emphasised that the state government’s anti-encroachment campaign is actively progressing. Responding to remarks made by the Leader of the Opposition, Yashpal Arya, in this regard, Chauhan claimed that upon identification of issues concerning forest land in Khalanga, the Forest Department had promptly carried out an on-site assessment. Following this, the Forest Minister also ordered a thorough inquiry, including in respect of the allegations of illegal tree felling. He stated that if encroachment is confirmed, strict action will follow.
Reminding the media of the government’s initiatives, Chauhan claimed that the Pushkar Singh Dhami led administration has enacted legislation aimed at addressing unlawful land occupation, particularly to tackle “land jihad”. A robust land protection law has also been introduced to safeguard valuable government-owned property. He shared that more than 6,000 hectares of forest land have already been cleared of encroachments.
Chauhan also reminded that investigations are underway regarding irregular land transactions across the state and that over 900 bighas of land in Dehradun alone has been reclaimed by the government.
Chauhan criticised the previous Congress government, alleging that it had created an environment that enabled land mafia to flourish, resulting in rampant encroachments and illicit land dealings. He credited the Dhami government’s new legal framework with dismantling these operations. He also noted that the committee constituted to investigate land fraud cases is functioning efficiently and delivering results.
The BJP leader further claimed that the nexus between political power and the land mafia has now been broken, significantly limiting further encroachments. Accusing the Congress of double standards, Chauhan alleged that several districts saw outsiders being settled on forest land during its tenure. Nonetheless, he reassured that every encroachment would be addressed strictly as per legal provisions and expressed confidence that the Dhami government would ensure forest and agricultural land across the state remains free from unlawful occupation.
