Anantnag (Jammu and Kashmir): Briefing the media about the demolition drive conducted by the district administration in Anantnag's Pahalgam, Deputy Commissioner KK Sidha said that the drive was undertaken to retrieve the encroached forest and state land.
He also said that the whole drive is being monitored by the High court.
He said that no shelter was demolished in the area as claimed by certain agencies.
'No shelter was demolished in Lidroo area of Pahalgam and nobody who has forest rights has been evacuated from the areas,' he said
He further said that 1035 Kanals of land have been retrieved from encroachers so far.
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He claimed that certain sections of media are portraying that the nomads have been left shelterless, which is however otherwise.
He also added that for the first time the whole demolition drive was live-streamed on social media and the photo, videography and other related documents have been submitted in the court.
A few days ago, the government launched a demolition drive against the alleged occupiers of forest lands in the Mamal area of Pahalgam and demolished the temporary mud houses of the Gujar and Bakarwal tribes.
