JOWAI, Dec 18: The village council of Namdong-A has strongly condemned the inaction on part of the Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council (JHADC) against the alleged encroachment into the forest land donated by the Dorbar Shnong of Namdong-A village since 2007, for taking care of the forest including the highly priced Sal wood and Teak tree.
Powerful individuals have encroached into the land, who are supporters of and closely related to the local MLA and Chief Executive Member, JHADC, alleged the Dorbar Shnong in a released issued here.
Earlier, the land was rich in sandal wood and teak trees but now it has become a “grass broom garden” of those individuals, the Dorbar said.
A complaint has been lodged with the Chief Forest Officer of the Council, who also inspected the land for encroachment but does not take any action, said the Dorbar.
This issue was also brought up by local MDC, D Lyngdoh, during the Winter Session of the JHADC, wherein questions were raised as to why the forest areas were controlled by some individuals and cleared for grass broom plantation.
The MDC as well as the Dorbar have denounced the JHADC, particularly the Forest department, for not taking any action against.
“The JHADC is in an acute financial crisis for 11 months now. No salaries were paid to the staff and if the Council maintains the forests, it would have collected crores of rupees annually”, the statement said, while requesting the department to take stern action against the encroachers.
