Shadow Correspondent
Jammu, Jan, 24
Launching a scathing attack on the Forest Deptt- Katha Industries nexus for exploiting Jammu based Khair growing farmers, a strong contingent of Panther activists along with scores of aggrieved farmers spearheaded by Mr. Harsh Dev Singh Chairman JKNPP, Mr. Yash Paul Kundal State president Young Panthers and other leaders staged a thunderous protest demonstration in the premises of ‘Van Bhawan’ in Jammu today. While raising slogans, the infuriated protesters accused Katha industries of conniving with corrupt officers of Civil and Police administration to push the said farmers towards starvation.
Addressing the media, Mr. Harsh Dev Singh JKNPP said that the uncertainty loomed large on the survival of 35000 Khair growing farmers of Jammu region whose marginal produce was being robbed by the powerful industrial houses in league with the corrupt officers at throw away prices. He elucidated that Khair-tree botanically known as ‘Acacia Catechu’ was grown only in Kandi areas of Jammu province having sub tropical climate which had been the only cash crop as source of subsistence for these farmers owning non irrigated lands. “The farmers of six districts of Jammu, Kathua, Samba, Udhampur, Reasi and Rajouri were expropriated of their produce for paltry prices by the ominous nexus. It had led these farmers to impoverishment, starvation and other miseries causing huge embitterment among them”, Harsh rued. Revealing further, that the J&K Govt had granted licences to certain selected industrialists mostly outsiders only to operate ‘Katha’ factories in the state, he said that these greedy capitalists had monopolized the purchases of Khair-wood who were exploiting the poor farmers for profit motive. “Not only were the cultivators underpaid but their payments were withheld for months and years by these callous and ruthless industrial houses”, anguished Harsh said.
Accusing the Administration of sub serving the interests of these Katha industries and covering the multi crore scam, Mr. Harsh Dev Singh said that the three factory units which had been raided and sealed last year were found to be having excess stock of Khair-wood in their business premises and had therefore connived with the Forest Deptt authorities so as to disallow the farmers from felling their trees which could be sold outside the state by them at lucrative prices. The obnoxious nexus, in defiance of the provisions of SRO-111 which permitted the farmers for felling and sale of Khair-trees had been purposely imposing hindrances in the free flow of Khair-wood outside the state for maintaining the monopoly of the said factories, Harsh maintained. He said that payments of thousands of farmers had been withheld by these Katha Industries which had to their starvation. Recalling that the State Govt had constituted an enquiry committee to hold an exhaustive probe into the said irregularities, he said that vide Govt order No. 250-FST of 2018 dated 30-07-2018, the CCF central was appointed as the head of the Enquiry Committee with a direction to complete the probe within one month and submit a detailed report in respect thereof. He regretted that no punitive action had been initiated thereafter against the culprits so far. “Not only the probe was scuttled but the industries were allowed to operate even after seizure due to the influential hegemony of the dirty nexus. Cancel all the selective licences granted to the outsiders to operate Katha processing units and book the culprits under the law”, Harsh roared. He made a fervent appeal to the Governor to take cognizance of the Katha industries scam by the mafia operating in the State and come to the rescue of the hapless farmers whose survival was under grave threat.
Mr. Yash Paul Kundal said that the Khair growing farmers were being exploited and ignored only because they all belonged to Jammu Pradesh as the production of Khair was restricted to the Kandi belt of Dogra land due to its peculiar land characteristics and weather conditions. He said that 35000 farmers along with their families would literally starve if their issues were not settled at the earliest.
Prominent among those who spoke on the occasion included Rajesh Padgotra, Gagan Partap Singh, Sham Gorkha, Capt. Anil Gour, Khajoor Singh, Bhavishan Singh, Surinder Chouhan, Rampaul Sharma, Rajeshwar Singh, Arun Khajuria, Rashpaul Singh, Udhayveer Singh, Vishab Singh, Ranjeet Singh, Naresh Kumar, Ajay Sharma, Romal Singh, Sadhu Ram, Rajinder Singh, Sukhdev Singh, Joginder Singh, Sobha Singh, Pawan Singh, Babu Singh, Kishori Lal besides others.
