Kashmir Impulse Desk

Srinagar, May 23

Minister for Jal Shakti, Forest and Tribal Affairs Javed Ahmed Rana boycotted a Forest Department event in Srinagar on Friday in protest against the recent demolition of structures belonging to Gujjar and Bakarwal families in Jammu’s Sidhra area.

Rana did not attend the ‘International Day for Biological Diversity’ programme held at Dachigam despite being invited as chief guest, the report said.

The event was attended by senior Forest Department officials, including Commissioner Secretary for Forests, Ecology and Environment Sheetal Nanda and Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Sarvesh Rai.

The boycott came days after a joint team of the Forest Department and Jammu and Kashmir Police demolished 32 structures at Raika Bandi in Sidhra on May 19, displacing more than two dozen Gujjar and Bakarwal families.

Rana’s decision highlighted growing differences between the elected government and officials reporting directly to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha over the handling of the demolition drive.

Following the operation, Rana constituted a committee to ascertain the factual position regarding the evictions at Raika Bandi.

The panel, comprising senior officials from the Forest and Revenue departments, has been tasked with examining the legality of the demolition drive and submitting its report within seven working days.

A separate fact-finding committee was also set up by the Tribal Affairs Department to investigate alleged violations of the Forest Rights Act, 2006, and constitutional safeguards available to Scheduled Tribes.

Meanwhile, Rana said electricity and water supply to the affected families – reportedly disconnected by the Jammu Development Authority after the demolitions – had been restored following his intervention.

The demolition drive has triggered sharp political reactions across Jammu and Kashmir, with opposition parties accusing the administration of targeting nomadic communities and questioning the elected government’s ability to prevent such action.

The People’s Democratic Party also criticised the government led by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, alleging that the Bharatiya Janata Party continued to exert greater influence over administrative decision-making in J&K.