Forest dept’s show-cause notices served on Army 
Shariq Majeed
Tribune News Service

Rajouri, June 30
On the heels of a major controversy over alleged allotment of forest land to the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board, the state government has served show-cause notices on two brigade commanders and a garrison engineer for illegal construction on a forest land. The notices have been served on brigade commander of two infantry divisions and a garrison engineer based at Poonch in two separate cases for violation of the Jammu and Kashmir Forest Conservation Act 1997 and the Jammu and Kashmir Forest Act.
Sources in the forest department at Poonch said in the first case of the violation of provisions of various forest acts of the state, the department has served a show-cause notice on the brigade commander of 93 Infantry Division for undertaking widening of road through a forest area without seeking statutory permission from the forest department. "The 93rd Infantry Division did the widening of road through 600 metres of forest land from Gali Maidan to the Rangvan stretch without seeking statutory approval of the forest department. While doing so they violated Section 2 of the J&K Forest Conservation Act 1997 and Section 6 of the J&K Forest Act by unauthorised undertaking of road construction and encroaching upon the forest land,” reliable source in the department said. "Since as per the provisions of the J&K Forest Conservation Act if a department undertakes construction on forest land without requisite approval from the forest department, the head of that department becomes prima facie responsible for offence, the show-cause has been served on the brigade commander to explain as to why the army didn't seek statutory approval from the forest department.
In the second case, a show-cause notice has been served on a brigade commander of 10 Infantry Division and Garrison Engineer of 881 work section for issuing land clearance/availability certificate to the engineering works department of the Army without obtaining any clearance from the forest department. "The officers concerned have reportedly given a nod for laying the 11 KV high tension electric line through forest area. The DSO and brigade commander of 10 Infantry Division violated the provisions of the J&K Forest Conservation Act 1997 by issuing land clearance/availability certificate to the engineering works department of the Army without obtaining any clearance from the forest department thus failing to exercise due diligence as required under the provisions of the forest conservation act", the source said. "The show-cause notice has been served on both officers concerned for the violation and they will have to file their reply within 30 days".
The Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Poonch, while confirming the development, said "The violation has taken place. We are fulfilling the statutory requirement and after completing necessary formalities, the forest offence report will be filed before the competent court", DFO said.