Minister for Forest, Ecology & Environment, Bali Bhagat, who is currently on tour to Kishtwar district, today announced setting up of one eco-park, a Forest Training Institute, branch of State Forest Research Institute and an office of Gama Unit of Forest Protection Force in the district.The eco-park will be set up over 20 kanals of forest land in Compartment No. 66 of Social Forestry Division at village Hargad. The Forest Training Institute and Gama unit of Forest Protection Force would come up at Trisar in Compartment No. 65 of Kishtwar Forest Division, whileas the branch of State Forest Research Institute would be established at Bharnoian (Bindraban) in the outskirt of Kishtwar town. These decisions were taken after inspection and site visits by the Minister.
The Minister also inspected various forest establishments located around Kishtwar town including Wildlife’s Trauma Centre at Bharnoian (Bindraban) and received first hand information about their activities. He also interacted with the local officers and discussed the issues related to the functioning of these establishments. He directed the concerned to explore possibilities for establishing new eco-tourism sites to promote the eco-tourism in the area for which there is great potential. He directed the officials of Wildlife to take all possible measures to curb the increasing man-animal incidents in the areas and guide the locals about the preventive measures.
Reiterating Government’s firm resolve to zero encroachment of forest area, the Minister directed the officers to speed up the anti-encroachment drive and retrieve entire forest area from the illegal possession of encroachers. He said encroachment of forest land is a crime and anybody found involved in the issue would be dealt sternly. He also directed the field staff to keep close watch on the activities of timber smugglers to curb the menace of green gold theft.Appreciating the outcome of anti-encroachment drive across the State, the Minister said that encouraging results are visible on ground as more than 3500 kanals of encroached land has been evicted from the possession of the culprits. He asked the officers to identify the encroached land in their jurisdictions and make out a comprehensive plan and set a target to retrieve the same.Conservator of Forests, Chenab Circle, Mahesh Dogra, DFO Social forestry, Doda, Lalit Kumar, DFO, Marwah, Vijay Kumar, ACF, Doda, Mohinder Kumar, Deputy Director Forest Protection Force, Amin A. Mehta and other sectoral officers of the Forest Department accompanied the Minister.