Amid unrest, there were encroachments in Kashmir

Jammu, Aug 30 (PTI) While Kashmir was witnessing unrest,some "miscreants" took advantage of it and engaged inencroachments and illegal construction in the valley, ChiefMinister Mehbooba Mufti said today, adding she has ordered adrive for removal of such structures. So far over 250 such structures have been dismantled, shesaid here. "In Kashmir, while the situation turned bad, encroachmentand illegal constructions were going on in and around Dal Lakeand other places," Mehbooba said here today. "Huge wrongs were done under the garb of this unrest. Aspeople were engaged in protest rallies in Kashmir, somemiscreants took advantage of it," she said, adding shops andhouses were illegally constructed and wood from forests wasbeing smuggled. Disclosing that she had given orders for removal of theencroachments, she said over 250 illegal constructions havebeen dismantled so far. "We have only land that is available to us where we canmake projects in the future," the Chief Minister said. She said she had heard that "huge encroachments" hadtaken place in Jammu region also where some people tookadvantage of the unrest in Kashmir "as most of governmentsetup is focused towards it". "There are not only poor people who are engaged inencroachments but there are big guns engaged in theseencroachments. You need to focus on them and removeencroachments," she said. "The authorities in Jammu should take a call and ensurethat the illegal constructions are removed and no freshencroachment should come up," Mehbooba said. PTI AB DKAKK