SISWAN/MAJRI: In village Siswan, adjoining New Chandigarh, several acres of hills are being levelled in blatant violation of norms. Approximately 500 trees have already been razed. Despite complaints being filed with the Forest, Wildlife, Panchayat Departments, and Punjab Police, officers have chosen to remain mute spectators and let the bulldozers run amok. All pleas have fallen on deaf ears. Punjab Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Senior leader and State Media Head Vineet Joshi alleged while showing the site to media persons on Tuesday.
In the presence of Siswan Sarpanch Sanjeev Sharma, Panch Amandeep Sharma, Lambardar Sher Khan, Mandal President Majri BJP Mohit Gautam, and other villagers, Joshi inspected the site and questioned how any private individual could encroach upon and occupy the land and hills owned by the Siswan Panchayat.
He informed that the hill land, falling under Khasra number 453, is notified under Section 4 of the Punjab Land Preservation Act (PLPA) 1900. Due to this, no farming or excavation or mining can be done on the particular area nor can trees, plants, or grass be cut, nor can cows, buffaloes, or goats be grazed. Any kind of disturbance is prohibited. So, how has it been cut and flattened? he questioned.
The Punjab Forest and Wildlife Protection Department has declared this area in Siswan as the Siswan Community Reserve Forest. This means no activity should be undertaken on this land that harms flora and fauna or disturbs the ecology. But all this has been done by cutting these hills.
Joshi demanded that immediate FIRs be registered under relevant sections of the PLPA 1900, the Wildlife Protection Act, the Forest Act, and the Criminal Act (for illegal trespassing and occupation of government land) against all those who encroached on panchayat land, cut the hills, and felled over 500 trees.