Jammu and Kashmir Governor S P Malik Monday said that thosein charge of the state’s forests “have made millions” through dubiousmeans and asserted that his administration will not spare anyone who indulgedin corrupt practices.
“There is no vendetta (against anyone). In its naturalcourse, the way Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) is working now, we won’t let gobig fishes. No one will be spared whether he belongs to any party or howeverbig he is. No one is big before the law. I am here. I am not goinganywhere,” Malik told reporters after starting a plantation drive atZabarwan hills here.
The governor said several people, who worked in the ForestDepartment in the state, had accumulated millions of rupees by destroyingforests.
“See the bungalows in Vasant Vihar or Maharani Bagh inDelhi of those who worked in the Forest Department. I know several families whohave made millions as they had the charge of Forests. The forests of Jammu andKashmir have been destroyed painfully. They are our lungs and we are alivebecause of them,” he said.
He said there were places in Kashmir which had zero level ofpollution only because of the plantation.
“We have to increase that and achieve the target of 50lakh plants. And not just plant them, but we will guard them round the year. Iwill myself see if the one I planted is growing well. We will take measures fortheir protection,” he said.
Malik said the people of Kashmir were by and large verygood, but there had been a betrayal with them.
“There has been a betrayal with them. They were notshown the right path and were not told the reality. If we all together take ittowards the right path, then Kashmir will become the best state of the country,he said.