Jammu: Authorities on Saturday demolished nearly a dozen illegally constructed huts and a permanent house on forest land in the Rahim Nagar area near Raika Forest on the outskirts of Jammu. The operation was carried out jointly by the Forest Department, Forest Protection Force, Revenue Department and police.
Officials said the action was part of an anti-encroachment drive and was not directed at any particular community. The Forest Department said residents had been warned to vacate the land, while some officials reported that several Rohingya families were among those occupying the structures.
Residents, however, said the demolition left some families without shelter. One occupant alleged that he had not received adequate prior notice, while a forest official maintained that warnings had been issued and that residents were allowed to remove their belongings before the structures were demolished.
The latest operation follows other eviction-related actions involving Rohingya settlements in Jammu in recent weeks, including developments in Narwal and Karyani Talab. Government data presented to a committee in August identified 7,656 Rohingyas across Jammu and Kashmir, including 6,737 in the Jammu region.
