Take action against VVIP encroachers: BJP

JAMMU: Appreciating the state government for taking bold initiative of removing massive encroachments from forest lands in Jammu and Kashmir, BJP today asked it to take action against VVIP land grabbers also.

"Action should be taken from the top. Government should start encroachment drive on forest lands from VVIP land grabbers", state BJP spokesman Sunil Sethi told reporters here today.

Sethi said that encroacher is guilty irrespective of the political parties he belongs to and action should be swiftly taken against them.

He also promised to take action against the BJP ministers for their alleged role in land encroachments.

"If there is anyone from BJP, action should be taken against them--nobody should be allow to go scotfree", he said.

He pinned the blame for massive encroachments of forest lands in and around Jammu on the previous government and said government should adopt zero tolerance to encroachment.

"These encroachments had been made during the regimes of earlier NC-Congress governments which allow such brazen, lawlessness to take place by compliances and conspiracies," Sethi said.

He said that accountability should be fixed on the the government officers "who worked in tandem with land mafia to encroach lands and they shall be punished."

It may be recalled that J&K government had set up a high level committee to undertake survey of encroachments of forest lands in and around Jammu city and take measures to remove these encroachment.