Beerwah, Aug 29 (JKNS): A demolition drive carried out by Tehsildar Beerwah along with the Naib Tehsildar in Kandhama area has sparked strong resentment among locals, who termed the action “unjustified” and contradictory to earlier official statements.
According to details available with news agency JKNS, the demolition campaign was conducted on Monday using heavy machinery, including a JCB, to remove what officials described as “encroachments” on government land.
Locals, however, said the drive was carried out without prior notice. One of the affected residents told JKNS that the land had been levelled by the Irrigation Department in 2024 and a board was installed thereafter. “Despite that, officials from the Revenue Department demolished portions of our house, boundary walls, and even cut trees. This is sheer injustice,” he said.
Residents recalled that a Tehsildar in 2024 had stated publicly that the houses in the area stood on private land. “If that was the position then, why are the same houses being targeted today as encroachments?” they asked, calling the action unlawful.
They further alleged that no Irrigation Department staff were present during the drive, even though the land falls under its jurisdiction. “If the land belongs to Irrigation, why was the Revenue Department acting alone?” a local questioned.
Revenue officials maintained they had written to the Irrigation Department regarding the matter, but locals argued this only adds to the confusion. “If this is about a canal, why was a 12-foot wide path carved out? No alignment was shown, no beginning or end marked — just a bulldozer driven through our land,” an affected landlord said.
When JKNS contacted an Irrigation Department official, he denied any knowledge of the demolition. “This was the Tehsil office’s action. If it involved us, we should have been part of it. But we were not called,” the officer stated.
The report, though filed on Monday, could not be published earlier due to internet disruptions in Jammu and Kashmir following heavy rainfall. (JKNS)
