Cemetery on forestland opposed by residents in Palampur

Palampur, June 23

Several organisations, including the Bajrang Dal, protested yesterday against the setting up a cemetery on forestland by a minority community near Kalu Di Hatti adjoining Palampur city.

The protesters said the area falls under the category of reserved forests and therefore the land could not be used as a burial ground. The change of land use in a reserved forest could not be allowed without the prior permission of the Central Government.

Committee to probe

The Divisional Forest Officer, Palampur, has constituted a committee to investigate the matter and submit a report to him in the next two days.

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Information gathered by The Tribune revealed that some local residents and organisations had recently noticed new graves near Kalu Di Hatti on government land, which falls in a reserved forest. They lodged a protest and called on the local authorities for immediate action.

However, the minority community claimed that it was using the land as a burial ground for the past 50 years and was its legal owner. Till date, none had objected to the cemetery but when old graves were renovated now, some people held a protest, which is uncalled for.

Nitin Patil, Divisional Forest Officer, Palampur, said that the matter was under investigation as the minority community had claimed its ownership of the disputed land. It claimed that it was an old cemetery.

He said that the community, however, could not produce the documents of ownership. He had given it time to come with documents, and therefore fresh burials as well as the renovation of old structures had been stopped. As per the records, it is not a notified cemetery