Police encroach upon forest land at Doda village

The police post in Doda village that has been built on the forest land. Tribune photo

Archit Watts

Tribune News Service

Muktsar, September 29

Though the state government is trying hard to reclaim government land encroached upon by private parties, a classic case of law enforcers turning into lawbreakers has emerged at Doda village in the Gidderbaha subdivision.

Violating laws, the district police are expanding its existing police post on the Forest Department’s land along the Muktsar-Bathinda highway at Doda village. Though the police have in-principle approval to build just two rooms, it was now constructing a boundary wall almost doubling the area.

Muktsar Forest Range Officer Amritpal Singh said the approval was given to the police authorities in 2007-08 to build just two rooms and that too for the highway patrolling post. “Now, they are expanding the area, raising a boundary wall. They were even told to obtain permission from the department for the purpose, but the application in this regard has not come as yet,” he added.

Meanwhile, a senior official in the divisional forest office here said they had not even received a single rupee as rent from the police till date. “As per the rules, those using land have to pay some fixed rent, but that too has not been paid to our department till date,” said the officer.

However, senior police officers denied encroaching upon Forest Department’s land for the construction of the Doda police post. The rent for the building was decided to be paid by the district administration, said SP (D), Muktsar, Gurinderjit Singh.

Courtesy: The Tribune