Panel formed to examine issues of Gujjars

Tribune News Service

Jammu, April 6

The state government has constituted a five-member high-level committee to be headed by Financial Commissioner of the Planning and Development Department Bharat Bhushan Vyas that will examine the issues of scattered habitations.

Other members of the committee are Principal Secretary, Home, RK Goyal; Commissioner Secretary, Tribal Affairs, Ashok Kumar Parmar; Secretary, Revenue, Muhammad Afzal Bhat and a representative of the police headquarters to be nominated by the Director General of Police.

The committee has been asked to examine and draw up a draft plan to consolidate scattered habitations for establishing a few planned colonies for the Gujjar community. The government has asked this committee to submit the report within a month.

The decision to constitute this committee was taken in the wake of February 22 Sarore incident where the Jammu Development Authority, Samba administration and the police allegedly dismantled the concrete structures of the Gujjar community, who were living in the area for over 30 years. A Gujjar youth also lost his life in the firing incident.

The Gujjar and Bakarwal communities in the state are living in different areas on state land allotted to them by various governments from time to time.

At a few places these Gujjars have encroached upon state land too, which became the bone of contention between the administration and the community many a time.

Now, to sort out the issue and search for long-term solution, the government has constituted a committee that will examine and draw up a draft plan to establish planned colonies for them.