Churah MLA alleges encroachment

Lalit Mohan

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Dharamsala, August 29

The issue of alleged encroachment on Himachal land by Jammu and Kashmir authorities in Chamba district has once again come to the fore after a tweet by Churah BJP MLA and former Deputy Speaker Hans Raj.

Matter taken up with authorities: DC

• Chamba Deputy Commissioner said that the dispute of alleged encroachment by Doda district authorities in Chamba district regarding construction of a road has been going on since 2021. The matter was being consistently taken up with the authorities in Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir.

The Churah BJP MLA has alleged in a tweet on the social media that Jammu and Kashmir authorities had constructed about 10 km road at Padhri Jot on Chamba border with Doda district inside the territory of Himachal. Hans Raj has urged the state government to get the boundary of Himachal with Jammu and Kashmir in Chamba district demarcated to prevent any encroachments. The area where the road has been constructed by Jammu and Kashmir authorities falls near Padhri Jot which is an upcoming tourist spot.

Deputy Commissioner Chamba, Apoorv Devgan, when contacted, said that the dispute of alleged encroachment by Doda district authorities in Chamba district regarding construction of a road had been going on since 2021. The matter was being consistently taken up with the authorities in Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir. “We have presented our claim over the encroached land to the district authorities of Jammu and Kashmir. The Doda district authorities have information that they were checking their revenue records and would respond to our claims. Chamba and Doda district administration authorities were tyring to settle the issue through mutual consultations,” he said.

Chamba district of Himachal shares border with Doda district in Churah and Salooni subdivisions. The area was part of remotest areas of Chamba district and has poor road network. In 1998, terrorists from Jammu and Kashmir had killed 35 people in Satroondi area of Chamba district along the borders of Doda district. After that the Himachal government was maintaining police check posts along its borders with Jammu and Kashmir in Doda district.