The nexus of builders and property dealers in connivance with departmental officials have encroached upon and carried out illegal construction on revenue land and forest land under the purview of the Rajaji Tiger Reserve. Despite repeated protests and a subsequent joint inquiry ascertaining validity of the allegations, the State Government has done nothing against the encroachment and illegal constructions, averred the Samajwadi Party Yamkeshwar Vidhan Sabha constituency head Bhupendra Singh Rana.
Addressing the media here on Tuesday, Rana alleged that the builder-land dealer nexus in connivance with departmental officials had encroached upon and constructed flats, hotels and resorts without securing no-objection certificate on land under the purview of the revenue department and under the purview of forest department. He said, “Such encroachment and illegal constructions have been made in the Yamkeshwar Tehsil on revenue and forest land under Rajaji tiger reserve purview at lakshman Jhoola, Ghattugadh, Rattapani, Vindhyavasini, Banas,Naudkhal, Gaindkhal and Khairkhal areas among others. Samajwadi Party workers demonstrated against this on February 11 this year seeking action against encroachment and illegal constructions. A protest was also staged at the forest range office on February 17 in response to which the Forest department reply evaded issues raised by us and diverted the issue. The Pauri district magistrate had during May this year directed a joint probe wherein the Tehsildar and forest range officer ascertained that boundary pillars of the forest department had been demolished with pucca structures being constructed on land of the forest department and construction of road through revenue land. However, this was hushed up under the influence of the land-construction mafia with the Tehsildar stating in his report that the forest ranger was not cooperating in the probe. We then met the State Forest and Wildlife minister Dinesh Aggarwal informing him about the situation but no action has been taken by the authorities so far,” he said.