Sukhbir Badal seeks to remove restrictions imposed in Kandi belt

New Delhi/ Chandigarh, October 6, 2015:  Aiming to ease problems of Kandi belt inhabitants, Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Mr Sukhbir Singh Badal held a meeting with Union State Minister for Environment and Forests Mr Prakash Javadekar and impressed upon him to remove restrictions imposed in this semi-hilly region.

Mr Badal informed Mr Javadekar that the Kandi belt covering about 56000 acres comprise of cultivable and forest land in districts of Rupnagar, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar, Hoshiarpur and Gurdaspur which was under habitation and farming since centuries ago. "But in 2006 the union ministry of environment and forests imposed some restrictions on the farmers/habitants of Kandi region on their bonafide land to which is making it difficult for them to live a dignified life, “he said.

After listening to the genuine difficulties of Kandi area populace, the union minister assured the Deputy CM that a meeting in this regard with the concerned officers would be called shortly and State government representatives would be invited so that the entire issue could be examined holistically.

Prominent among others present in the meeting included Principal Secretary Forests Vishwajeet Khanna, Additional Resident Commissioner New Delhi Rahul Bhandari and Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Kuldeep Kumar Lomis.