Himachal Forest Department dismantles ‘illegal’ wall built by PWD

Our Correspondent

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NURPUR, AUGUST 4

The Forest Department yesterday dismantled a boundary wall built by the Public Works Department (PWD) on the approach road to Government College at Katora gram panchayat of Nagrota Surian in Jawali subdivision.

The PWD had built the boundary wall blocking the newly constructed shops of local unemployed youths allegedly under political pressure. The Forest Department, PWD and the college authorities have been at loggerheads over the issue. The Forest Department removed the wall claiming that it was ‘illegally’ built on forestland.

The affected shop owners have been running from pillar to post to seek justice for the past over one month. On a written communication from the college authorities, the PWD had earlier dismantled parapets built on both sides of the approach road and constructed a boundary wall blocking the shops.

According to information, the Forest Department, under the Forest Right Act-2006, had given its land for use as a passage to the college campus and no construction activity could be undertaken on it, as the college had only the easement right over the land.

The PWD was being held responsible for wasting public money on the construction of the boundary wall on forestland.

Raj Dogra, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Dehra, said on the direction of the higher authorities, the local forest staff dismantled the boundary wall yesterday and a report was submitted to the department.

He said that local residents had given a representation to the higher forest authorities in this regard. Dr Ashwani Patel, college principal, said that the boundary wall was erected on the college approach road as per the UGC guidelines and the demands of the College Parents Teachers Association and the students’ union. “The Forest Department dismantled the wall without any prior intimation to the college. I am writing to the state Education Department and the DFO, Dehra, in this regard,” he said.

Meanwhile, Yudhvir Singh, Assistant Engineer, PWD, Nagrota Surian, said that the PWD was only an executing agency for the construction of the college building and its approach road. “If the Forest Department had any objection, the ongoing work could have been stopped in the beginning itself,” he added.