M A I N   N E W S

Afforestation scam in Dhar unearthed
Lalit Mohan
Tribune News Service

Salti (Gurdaspur), December 8
A scam of afforestation by the Department of Forest under the Japan bank-aided scheme in Dhar subdivision of the area has come to light. Forest Department officials allegedly carried out thousands of fake plantations in Dhar sub-division under the Japan bank-aided scheme.

The Tribune today visited one such plantation under the Salti panchayat area. The area was notified as segment-II of the plantation scheme. As per details notified in the area 7000 plants were supposed to be planted in the area. However, there were just a few new saplings planted in the area. The entire area that was to be brought under the scheme was infested with Lantana. It seems that no effort was made by the Department of Forest to clear the area for afforestation.

Heaps of saplings which were supposed to be planted at the place were lying destroyed at the spot. Destroyed saplings illustrate that these were planted just in papers.

Another segment was the green belt developed on the banks of Ranjit Sagar lake to check erosion of soul in the same village. The green belt also contains sparse plantations. Sources in the village said that only meagre plantations were carried out in the area. Some of the saplings were planted without taking into consideration the level up to which water could be raised. This year when water in the lake rose the nursery and many plantations of the Forest Department were inundated and destroyed.

Sources also alleged that plantations under the Japan bank-aided projects were carried out in 10 segments in the Dhar area of the district. Out of these proper plantations were carried in just two segments are shown to the officials coming for inspection. Remaining segments are located in the remote area. One has to walk through difficult terrain to reach these. Taking advantage of the inaccessibility of the areas officials carried these plantations mostly in papers. They also alleged that the department of forest has carried out fake maintenance of the plantations which did not exist.

The matter came to light after some daily wage workers of the Forest Department were removed from service. They spilled the beans to local Shiv Sena leaders. President of the Shiv Sena (Bal Thackeray) at Pathankot Sunil Kanotra at a press conference a few days ago had alleged that forest officials had swindled lakhs in the scam.

DFO Pathankot Range, J.S. Sahota, when contacted, said that he could not comment on the plantations before visiting the area. He, however, added some people of the Salti village had encroached on the forest land. They were made to leave the possession recently. The encroachers now were accusing Forest officials to get even with them.

He said he would look into allegations of fake plantations in the area.