A large number of people belonging to the Gujjar community today staged a protest here, demanding the removal of Jammu and Kashmir Forest Minister Choudhary Lal Singh for allegedly harassing them in connection with removal of encroachments.
Over 243 hectares of forest land have allegedly been encroached in the forest areas of Jammu city. Seven cases in this regard have been registered in Katra and 52 cases of Jammu are lodged in courts.
Dozens of people under the banner of the All Tribal Coordination Committee (ATCC) assembled at Sidhra, on the outskirts of the city, and took out a protest march towards the Raj Bhavan this afternoon, officials said.
They said the protesters blocked the Tawi bridge at the Sidrah bypass after police stopped them from proceeding further.
The protesters were carrying placards and were shouting slogans against Singh, demanding his immediate sacking, the officials said, adding that the agitators lifted the road blockade after senior civil and police officers persuaded them to disperse.
"The forest minister, in the name of removal of encroachments, is harassing the tribal community," said Talib Hussain, chairman ATCC.
He also demanded a CBI probe into the assets of the forest minister.
According to Singh, the total recorded encroachment of forest land in the city and on the outskirts of Jammu district was 243 hectares, out of which 99 hectares had been freed so far.
The Jammu and Kashmir High court has issued strict directives to the government to remove encroachments in Jammu and is monitoring the anti-encroachment drive of various departments, including the Jammu Development Authority (JDA).
In addition to the recorded encroachments, unrecorded and fresh attempts of encroachments to the tune of 205 hectares had been evicted in the last two years, he had said.
Of the 52 court cases, four had been decided in favour of the forest department, the minister said.
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