Deputy Commissioner Doda, Harvinder Singh, today chaired a meeting of the Change of Land Use (CLU) Committee at the Mini Conference Hall, DC Office Complex, Doda, to review and assess the status of pending and new CLU cases in the district.
The meeting aimed to streamline the process of land use conversion while ensuring compliance with legal and environmental norms. The meeting was attended by ADC Doda Anil Kumar Thakur, ADC Bhaderwah Sunil Bhutyal, ACR Doda Ashraf Pervez, DFO Doda, Tehsildar Doda, Chief Agriculture Officer (CAO) Amjad Hussain, Tehsildars, and representatives from the Revenue Department.
The Deputy Commissioner stressed the importance of inter-departmental coordination for timely disposal of CLU cases and instructed departments to provide clear, factual reports on each application to avoid unnecessary delays.
During the meeting, a detailed review of several pending and new CLU applications was conducted. Each case was examined with respect to its feasibility, compliance with land laws impact on agricultural productivity, forest cover and infrastructural requirements such as power supply and road connectivity.
After this detailed review, 3 CLU cases were approved, while the Deputy Commissioner directed the concerned departments to expedite verification of remaining cases, ensure that land under cultivation or falling within protected forests is not converted without proper justification, and maintain transparency in granting permissions.
The Deputy Commissioner also emphasized the need to sensitize applicants about the documentation and procedures involved in obtaining CLU approval. He directed revenue officials to organize awareness sessions at tehsil and block levels to guide landowners.
Further, he advised the Agriculture Department to assess the impact of proposed conversions on local food security, and the Forest Department to ensure that no encroachments on forest land occur under the guise of CLU.