PUNJAB MAN FLATTENS HILLOCKS TO ENCROACH FORESTLAND

Huge encroachment of forestland is taking place in Punjab, just a stone’s throw away from the Chief Minister’s office and residence. The man in the spotlight is Colonel Baljit Singh Sandhu, the owner of WWICS and a habitual offender, against whom many cases exist. The Punjab Forest Department has received a complaint that in Nayagaon, hundreds of acres of land have been encroached on by Colonel Sandhu by flattening hillocks and axing trees. Nayagaon is a town in Punjab’s Mohali district situated in the Shivalik foothills and is adjacent to Chandigarh. It’s prime land because of which the eyes of the land mafia are on this area.

On the one hand, the Punjab government has vowed to act against illegal encroachments, and on the other, right under the nose of the same government, just a few miles away from the CM’s office and residence, hundreds of acres of forestland have been encroached on, on Masol Road. From Masol Road to village Tanda, the encroacher has flattened hillocks, axed many trees, and constructed a path towards Tanda.

In Nayagaon, on 9 May, the police took action on the allegation of illegally flattening the hillocks by making 45

big farmhouses and selling them at high prices. In this case, on the complaint of the Forest Department, a case was registered against Colonel Baljit Singh Sandhu and Tarsem Singh on the complaint of Forest Range Officer Ranjodh Singh under Section (4) (5) of the Punjab Land and Prevention Act-1900 Act.

On behalf of the Divisional Officer of the Forest Department of Mohali, a written complaint was given to the police through a letter-number 32, that Colonel Sandhu had illegally occupied the closed lands under PLPA-1900 and got arbitrary constructions on them. Tarsem Singh, working as a labourer and security supervisor at the behest of Sandhu, played an important role in this work, damaging 500 trees located on 30 hectares of forestland.

It is alleged that in this case, the hillocks were levelled by cutting them with JCB. And 30 hectares of natural forestland and about 500 trees have been uprooted. The team reached the spot after getting the information from the department. The offenders misbehaved with the government staff going there for inspection and also locked them in a room.

It is alleged that the forest department team was not allowed inside to inspect the cut hillocks and the team suffered misbehaviour by the offenders. The forest department team is being continuously threatened by the accused. Accused Colonel Baljit Sandhu and Tarsem Singh were found to be in violation of Section 4/5 FCA 1980 of PLPA 1900, IFA-1927, and the directions of CWP 202- 1995 dated 12 December 1996 of the Supreme Court. Taking action, the Nayagaon police have registered a case against both the accused under Sections 4 and 5 of the Punjab Land Act.

When called, Colonel Baljit Singh Sandhu, the accused, did not answer. On Friday, a written complaint regarding the matter was received from the Forest Department. Seeing this, a case has been registered against the accused. The investigation is going on.