Devotees try to take over Dhusi Bandh; DC, SSP intimated

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, April 26

Followers of a popular spiritual organisation at Beas, about 35 km from the city, have been trying to take over about one and a half km-long Dhusi Bandh, located on forest land, for non-forest purposes.

After the act came to light, vigilant field officials of the Forest Department complained about the matter to higher officials besides intimating SSP (Rural) Jasdeep Singh Saini, Deputy Commissioner Varun Roojam and the Conservator of Forest. 

On the condition of anonymity, the officials said Dhusi Bandh fell in Budha Theh jungle, a protected block forest site. They said the followers of the spiritual centre not only removed the natural growth but pulled out plants at Dhusi Bandh. 

With a view to send a strong message across, officials of the Forest Dpartment installed barbed wires to make the area out of bound. They suspect that the volunteers of the spiritual centre may have been trying to lay a connecting road from their centre to the highway.

They added that there was no need to adopt unauthorised methods as a legal process was available to use forest land for non-forest purposes. Quoting the Forest Conservation Act, 1980, the officials stated that its rules permitted to use forest land for any non-forest purpose by taking prior-permission for the same.