Poonch Today edit 4 Poonch, 16-31 may, 2016

POONCH TODAY ------From the Editor Desk Death warrants for Environment ------Power crisis and Forests by S.D.M Mendhar can be reduced Illegal Mutation of Bhata Dhurian Forest Nursery in favour of M.L.C with Mini power Forest Department Poonch ejected from ownership & Possession By Tabassum M. Saif Mughal (1994-97) took up the Environment including For- Equilibrium. all concerned high ranking cases regarding connivance ests, Lakes, Rivers and Wild- The Volunteer Organization authorities and the matter was projects part of forest land and complicity of revenue Life and to have compassion received a blow of Shock over recently again taken up with under compartment staff with the Sarpanch who for living Creatures. silence by the Govt. on such president Chief Conservator &K has huge power generation capacity and if ANo.155/Mendhar com- had been recording a fictitious The Roll of Pir Panchal an alarming issue for over of Forest and Commissioner used properly, the state can earn huge besides prising survey No.764 situated and fraudulent entry showing Environment and Eco-Dev. 28 years. The President M.B Secretary Forest Department in Village Bhata Dhoorian, possession of interested/influ- Socirty (V.O) remained com- Mughal on disappointment under the subject “ Ejectment Jgiving full respite to the people of the state but no Tehsil Mendhar measuring ten ential party vide his Office mendable and highly appre- and under frustration decided of Forest Department from sound policy was made ever by successive regimes. kanals two marlas enjoying Letter No.1858-71 dated ciable right from beginning. to approach State Vigilance custodianship of Forest land But now, Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti, has decided over head irrigation facilities 15-12-1994 requesting cancel- Its founder and D.F.O Organization S.V.O.J and by an encroacher of Mend- to utilize Prime Ministers’ power package of Rs.2,000 on Jammu-Poonch road was lation of false Girdawari which retired M.B. Mughal who is travelled all the way from har Tehsil” under No.100- being maintained by Forest ought to have been recorded in committed to preservation of HQ Poonch to Jammu on hot 104 dated 16-05-2010 with crores. In fact the coalition Government has been Department Poonch as a forest favour of the Forest Depart- Natural Environment could and humid days of July 2007 reminder under No 131-135/11 awakened by the growing peoples’ resentment over Nursery for raising lanting ment. The D.F.O Sh. Mughal not tolerate the issuance of to discuss the serious matter dated 30-12-2011 but no solid prolonged outings. Yes, the state Government can- stocks of different economical simultaneously informed the enjoying the status of Distt. death warrants to Environment with competent authorities. A and appropriate action was not do anything after other states refused to release species over since the time of higher authorities including MLC by then. and Forests. Immediately after complaint was instituted in taken in the matter of alarm- settlement of 1961-62. Mas- principal Chief Conservator of Under the light of facts knowledge about the pathetic writing before the then S.S.P ing nature till this date. additional power to Jammu and Kashmir. The matter sive and Mislssal-i-Haqyat Forests and divisional Com- mentioned in aforesaid story, he swung in to action Vigilance who promised to As all options stand should have been sorted about 12 years ago but the are solid proofs. Whereas the missioner Jammu in writing. paras,it is evident that the and brought the matter in the take action in the matter. exhausted, all Govt. doors Government slept over the matter and at one time physical possession of the said Despite Sincere efforts High Ranking KAS Officer notice of all forest officers It seems intriguing to men- stand knocked but found forest nursery on spot was and repeated requests during entered into a criminal con- including the then Pr. Chief tion that no action seems to closed. The only option left during the Congress led UPA Government the state vested with forest department a series of meetings with the spiracy with M.L.C Ikhlaq Conservator of Forests A.R have been initiated by state with NGO is knocking the used to get Rs.1300 crores for purchasing additional Poonch,nevertheless the pat- then D.C who turned a deaf Khan with malafide intention Khan IFS, Commissioner/ vigilance organization despite doors of Justice by moving power from the national grid. And the successive state waris of Revenue Department ear to the request of the Forest and ulterior motives and went Secretary Forest Department lapse of over 5years which Hon’ble High Court of J&K Governments felt satisfied without taking any step for posted in the area remained Department. out of jurisdiction in so far as J&K Govt., Divisional Com- has not only conveyed wrong Bench Jammu through PIL instrumental in recording On the contrary a KAS illegal mutation of forest land missioner Jammu, and Deputy signals to the community and Adequate documentary proof increasing power generation. And before taking over fake,fictitious and fraudulent Officer during his posting is concerned. The officer thus Commissioner Poonch. public at large but green sig- lies with president of V.O. as Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti would rake up the Girdawaris secretly in the in Mendhar Tehsil as S.D.M changed the status of Forest In addition to above the nals to the Forest encroachers, Now since the deep/black issue of restoration of two major power projects, run name of a local sarpanch with Mendhar entered into a crimi- Land as state land in posses- then Hon’ble Minister for Trespassers and Land Mafia clouds of uncertainty have and maintained by the NHPC, to the state sector which malice and ulterior motives nal conspiracy with so called sion of M.L.C and transferred Environment and Forest, Vigi- on one hand and to the conniv- shattered and bad weather has so as to entitle the interested local occupant and without proprietary Rights upon the lance Commissioner Jammu ing Revenue and forest offi- changed favorably because the could have been done as a major concession from party for mutation and owner- N.O.C from the forest authori- encroacher. Thus a responsible and the then Chief Minister cers who are hell bent upon command of forest department the centre to the state of Jammu and Kashmir. In fact ship on the basis of so called ties/knowledge of Tehsidar, Govt. Officer Posted for Main- J&K State for taking immedi- sale of forest land and subse- has come in the iron hands of during the last 30 years, the power sector has been possession. mutated the said piece of tenance of Law and Order ate steps regarding cancella- quent mutation on thousands a dynamic, dedicated /devoted neglected and the overall power losses, either owing The then D.F.O Poonch Forest Land illegally and with- caused an irreparable loss to tion of Death Warrants by can- hectares of forest land result- and dashing personality like Jagdish Kishwan IFS (1982- out jurisdiction in the name of Govt. by misusing his official cellation of illegal mutation on ing in destruction, devastation Ch. Lal Singh Ji who is last to power pilferage or on account of defective trans- 84) on the report of the then Sarpanch under the grab of position which amounts to forest land executed by S.D.M and shrinkage of Lush Green ray of hope for restoration and mission system, touched over 54 per cent. And still Range Officer Mendhar (1980- 394/C which is not applicable issuance of Death Warrants to Mendhar so that Bahata Dhoo- Forest area and deterioration retrieving of illegally occu- the Government did not take any measures to check 87) M.B.Mughal took up the on forest land at all. the Natural Environment and rian Forest Nursery in Com- of Natural Environment on the pied and mutated forest land matter with the then Distt.Dev. It is amazing that the then Forests in Violation of consti- partment No.155/M could be other. of Bhatadhurian forest nurs- power losses. Now the Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti Commissioner Poonch regard- Divisional Forest Officer tution of India .The Article 48 restored to Govt. Forest Deptt. Despite odd circumstances ery from the M.L.C including has been woken up and has said that the State Gov- ing ownership and physical (2003-2005) acted as mute of constitution of India reads, For raising plantation stocks. and non-co-operative atti- innumerable other trespassers, ernment would spend Rs 2000 crores for mini-hydel possession requesting cancel- spectator and did not offer “ The State shall Endeavour to An ill luck would have it tude of Higher authorities of encroachers and land mafia in power projects (all between 9 to 15 mw) to harness lation of fake, fictitious and an iota of resistance/protest protect and improve the Envi- the concerned forest authori- Forest Department, Revenue Poonch forest division. fraudulent Girdawaris by Pat- against the illegal act of the ronment and safeguard For- ties also cared a fig for Envi- Department and the authorities The author is an Advocate power potential in Jammu and Kashmir even as the wari on Forest land vide his S.D.M Mendhar and parted ests”. The Article 51-A further ronment protection and its in the Secretariat, The presi- in J&K High Court Jammu. Government has decided to re-tender Ratle power Office Letter No.421-24 Dated with a precious Forest Nurs- says,” It will be the duty of consequences in shape of dent of V.O never surrendered She is General Secretary of Pir project in Kishtwar after GVK decision to exit from the 12-08-1985. Subsequently ery along with paraphernalia every citizen of India to pro- irreparable loss to the Nation and continued his sincere Panchal Environment &Eco- project while Kishanganga power project over river the then D.F.O Poonch M.B. because the Sarpanch was tect and improve the Natural by collapsing of Ecological efforts despite silence from Dev.Society J&K. Neelam in Gurez will be completed next year. The Chief Minister said this while reviewing performance of Power Development Department along with Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh, other Ministers and Agusta scandal has put Peer Panjal region always senior officers of the administration. Mehbooba said the Government would utilize Rs 2000 crores, a provi- neglected by the Government sion of which has been kept in the Prime Minister’s Congress on the back foot Zeeshan Syeed the state is mainly responsible for Development Package, for construction of mini-hydel T.N Ninan social tensions. To generate a lasting power projects of 9 to 15 mw, to help harness power eer Panjaal Region has always solution to the problem of educated potential in the State. Calling upon the authorities to he thesis that it is simpler, been discriminated by the unemployed youth, various state work out ‘Summer Preparedness Plan’ to meet power cheaper, more efficient PGovernment’s. Even if the and central sponsored employment and ultimately safer to Nationalist and Patriot common schemes are in place. These schemes shortage and avoid inconvenience to the general pub- T finance political funding through masses resides in these Twin border have failed to facilitate the unem- lic, she called for strict adherence to power cut sched- offshore deals, and to park the District’s, the condition of Educated ployed youth to shape their future in ule. Reports have revealed. Punjab Government has money abroad, has been attributed unemployed youth is worsening with a better way in view of the negligible agreed to the supply of 120 mw power to Jammu and rightly or wrongly to a long-dead every passing day. Youth are the pil- growth of salaried jobs. Notably, the member of the Gandhi family. The lars of every developed nation but Government of India has, variously Kashmir from Ranjit Sagar dam. Hitherto, Punjab had core argument was that collect- youth of State in common and Peer discussed to restructure and redesign been refusing to give any power to J&K from the proj- ing money in India from Indian Panjaal Region in Particular are the the schemes for the fruitful results but ect. Dr Nirmal Singh, who holds charge of the Power businessmen involved too many victims of rapidly increasing drug nothing has changed so far within Department, has confirmed to the that Punjab has people, including intermediaries menace and the reason behind it is the society. Government must come who would be tempted to take a Unemployment. It’s shocking but up with a multi-pronged strategy for agreed to release 120 mw power to J&K from Ranjit cut; created messy quid pro quo reality that a large number of edu- poverty reduction in a time bound Sagar dam, which would boost power supply posi- obligations; and came with a high cated unemployed youths are the vic- manner, Which will provide sustain- tion in the State. Yes the decision to invest Rs.2,000 level of risk because of the leaki- action required by overseas disclo- because they wish to crack down tims of drugs. Getting employment able livelihood through various means ness of the Indian system. sures has been stymied here, more on tax evasion, and smaller coun- initiatives for youth can change the to rural population. When we talk of crores on building mini power plants seems to be the Also, the sums involved were often than not. tries are getting the benefit of the prevailing situation that’s what I stand implementation of the government only alternative to ward off opposition from Pakistan usually quite small, compared to Allegations of international pay- disclosures that have followed. for! Unemployment is a global phe- sponsored self employment schemes which invariably rests its argument on the Indus Water what was available on large arms offs tend to have legs that are out What is curious, though, is how nomenon. Every country is devising in the State of Jammu and Kashmir, Treaty of 1960.This Treaty has been a bane for power deals, civilian aircraft purchases of proportion to the sums involved. the disclosures so far of secret bank programmes and launching initiatives we can simply say that these schemes and petroleum contracts -- all of Bofors survived as a scandal long accounts and fronted companies on continuous basis to combat this are not delivering as intended. While development in Jammu and Kashmir and occasionally which have been known globally to after Rajiv Gandhi, till it became in tax havens have unearthed no challenge. However, it is the design analyzing the performance of these successive Chief Ministers has pleaded for the scrap- involve pay-offs, almost as a rou- clear who got the money and also political money and indeed no and format of initiatives which schemes, the basic purpose of eradi- ping of the Treaty. However, the Government of India tine part of business. Whatever the that the recipients were beyond the political connections. Rather, the makes such programmes successful cating the unemployment, particular- is bound by its commitment made to the World Bank validity of this argument may have reach of Indian law. The helicopter HSBC accounts in Geneva and the in engaging youth in profitable self ly among the educated unemployed been in the early 1980s, it no longer pay-offs have been acknowledged companies named in the Panama employment ventures. Since finance youth has been defeated. There are and that is one of the reasons that has forced India holds good. Whether it was the as fact, what remains is to estab- Papers have tended to be purely is the backbone to all such employ- several reasons behind the failure of to keep the Treaty alive. But on many occasions the Bofors gun in 1986 or Italian heli- lish who got the money -- and the business-related operations, quite ment generation programmes, various these schemes. successive state Governments, with financial support copters in 2012, a leak or disclo- Bharatiya Janata Party has made it a bit of them legitimate. The sums schemes are tailored and put in place The procedure which is supposed from the centre, the plan for building mini and macro sure at the source overseas is like clear that it is going to play this for involved are small too, usually to encourage unemployed youth for to be followed for the enrolment in dynamite, and usually impossible all it is worth. a few million dollars. Since it is self employment ventures by way of these schemes is very demoralizing. power projects were planned. But most of them did not to refute. Diary notings, scraps of Until the facts emerge, the Con- no one's case that Indian political financial support. Since our state is Actuall¬y it seems that trap has been prove result oriented. Some of the mini power projects paper, comments by investigators gress as the party in power at the money has not been stashed away also plagued with growing menace laid down by the Government to has been built by the Army but a couple of them have or judges in the foreign country -- time of the aborted deal will be on abroad, this raises interesting ques- of unemployment, a good number of handcuff the unemployed youth by they acquire a life of their own in the back foot, politically. tions about where exactly political state as well as central government introducing Employment schemes. stopped generating power because of water problem. the hands of the media. It may be more difficult to flick money is parked. sponsored employment generation I have personally witnessed that the Now that Mehbooba has decided to invest Rs.2,000 Crucially, events overseas are this off one's shoulder, compared to Finally, there is the sorry spec- schemes are in place. With annual beneficiaries are forced to pay for crores on building mini power plants the design and out of the control of even the most (say) the involvement of Trinamool tacle of a former air chief caught incremental increase in unemploy- getting sponsored under any of the the location should be assigned to a committee of ex- powerful people in the country. It Congress leaders in West Bengal's in the cross-hairs of the helicopter ment scenario every year thousands self employment schemes by the offi- is a more feasible proposition to Saradha scandal, which seems to business. Media sting operations of unemployed educated youth enter cials of Department. I request the perts. If Mehbooba leaves the issue in the hands of the block or derail investigations by have had little impact on the par- have made clear over the years that into the list, largely due to the eco- State as well as Union Government PDD not much progress can be achieved. Mehbooba Indian agencies like the Central ty's political fortunes although the it is far from difficult to get into nomic distress and mismatch, the to keep vigil on the Crores and Crores should get the designs prepared and the orders should Bureau of Investigation, described scam involved sizeable losses to pay-off discussions with senior ser- problem is going to be one of the of rupees spent on the name of wel- be issued to the companies quickly so that by the en- by a court as a 'caged parrot,' and large numbers of voters. vice officers, whose primary duty it biggest challenges before all counts. fare of educated unemployed youth. the more recently created National The other material point is that is to defend the country. The jobs created by the state gov- Youth is the major sufferer of these suing autumn season some of the mini power projects Investigation Agency which (it the global attitude has changed The disastrous consequence is ernment are nowhere matching the time wasting practices initiated by were ready which also could narrow down the wide would seem) is willing to shoot in with regard to banking secrecy stymied defence equipment orders, burgeoning number of unemployed Government. So it’s the duty of the gap between availability and demand. any direction you point it. Why, and tax havens -- the big countries and exposed defenses. ( Courtesy@ youth. We cannot ignore the fact Government to execute schemes in its even the downstream prosecutorial are coming down hard on these rediff.com ) that the unemployment problem in true spirit on grass root level.

Govt. of India approved newspaper. Title verification no JKENG/2013/58563 Owner, Publisher, Printer and Editor-in-Chief, SALIL RAINA. (M) 9419662925, | Resident Editor PAWAN SHARMA (M) 9419878061, Printed at JK Printing & Publications, Sunjwan, Jammu. Publish from H.No 74, Mohalla Panditan, W.No 11, C/o Raina Computers, near Degree College Poonch. (All disputes are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of competent courts and forums in Poonch District only)