Now a big and new turn has come in the matter of removal of encroachment and demolition of houses of tribals in Budhni forest area of Sehore district of Madhya Pradesh. The official investigation report of this sensitive and high-profile case has finally been submitted to the state government. This detailed report prepared by Sehore district administration has been sent to Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav and Chief Secretary Ashok Baranwal, in which many shocking and important revelations related to encroachment have been made. Illegal encroachment was revealed through Google Earth images. According to this official investigation report sent to the Chief Minister and the Chief Secretary, 31.48 hectares of forest land of compartment 426 of the reserve forest of Kosmi beat under Ladkui range of Bhairunda tehsil of Sehore district has been completely freed from encroachment. The report revealed that in the year 2020, 186.960 hectares of forest land was transferred from the General Forest Division to the Sehore Project Division of the Forest Development Corporation. After this, in the year 2021, 3,37,500 teak saplings were planted by the corporation in its 135 hectare area. Investigation revealed that people from outside had illegally occupied about 31.48 hectares of land by cutting 78,700 of these teak saplings. Analysis of timeline images of Google Earth made it clear that this entire compartment was completely empty till the year 2021, but in the year 2022, some people destroyed the plantations and erected temporary huts there and took possession of this forest land for the purpose of farming. The people who came under the ambit of the action already have permanent houses. In this report of the Collector, it has also been claimed that the nine occupants whose huts were removed during the encroachment removal action taken by the administration on October 11, already have permanent houses, valid house numbers and voter ID cards in their original residence i.e. Singhpur and Habibnagar. Quoting the Sub-Divisional Officer (Revenue) of Bhairunda, it has been clarified in the report that these persons who claim themselves as landless have permanent houses in their native villages. During the action, the administration also filled an illegal well built there with soil and mud and the entire process was videographed through drones. Orders for investigation were given after Shivraj Singh Chauhan's dharna. It is noteworthy that this whole matter gained momentum when Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan and his son Kartikeya Singh sat on a dharna in support of the affected families after this action in Budhni area. This protest continued for three consecutive days outside the depot of Forest Development Corporation. Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan had made serious allegations against the local officials and had informed the Chief Minister and the Chief Secretary over phone about this entire incident, after which the Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav had ordered a high-level inquiry with immediate effect. Now after this report comes out, the stir in administrative and political circles is expected to intensify.
