Details

Written by: Tahir Nadeem Khan Yusafzai

Category: ENVIRONMENT

Published: 27 March 2015

BHADERWAH: In yet another operation against illegal loggers and to break the nexus between Forest officials and Mafia , Gandoh Police today seized 63 scants of green cedar trees beside 6 newly sawed down Cedars at Village Kakothi in Bhalesa Range of Bhadarwah Forest division 20 km from Gandoh in district Doda.  Gandoh Police also apprehended two smugglers during the operation from village Kakothi from where the huge seizer was made.

Acting on specific information about the timber being smuggled illegally by a group of forest mafia reportedly in active connivance of some Forest officials,a police led by SDPO Gandoh Bhushan Kumar Ganjoo started a search operation in and around village Kakothi. During the search operation police seized 63 timber scants worth lakhs extracted illegally from the possession of Duni Chand and Jaffer Hussain residents of the same Village.

Timber was reportedly extracted from freshly cut green cedar trees in compartment no.85 near Himachal border in Bhalesa Range of Bhadarawah Forest division which clearly indicates the involvement of forest officials in this illegal activity. In this regard Police has registered a case with FIR under sections (case FIR No 13/2015 U/S 379 RPC 6 Forest Act) 379/353/186 Ranbir Penal Code (RPC) at Gandoh Police Station. Some more arrest and seizer is expected as the operation is still going on and both the accused are being questioned about the involvement of some forest officials in large scale timber smuggling.

"The operation is still going on and we are expecting more seizer as it is evident from the seizer we have made so for and the number of trees chopped in the nearby Forest that this is an organized Mafia and there is every possibility of some Forest officials also involved in this, " said SDPO Gandoh adding that the crackdown against timber mafia will continue as there are reports of massive illegal logging and smuggling from Bhalesa Forest Range.

“ Police is doing a commendable job by continuing their operation against timber smugglers but the Forest department and Forest Protection Force which responsible for protecting the Forest seems to be in deep slumber and has maintained a criminal silence by not taking any action against the erring officials as on 14th of January Gandoh Police seized large quantity of timber while being smuggled from compartments 83 and 84 Of Bhalesa Range and also arrested 5 smugglers from Village Kaljugasar  but till date no action has been taken against any official which is an indicative that Forest officials are hand in glove with timber smugglers”, said Environment Journalist mansoor Qadir adding that DFO Bhaderwah is showing total disinterest by not sending any inquiry team to the compartments i.e compartments 14 to 35 and 44 to 66 in Neru Range of Bhaderwah Forest Division from where massive damage was unearthed by media, he demanded a high level inquiry be initiated by the new Forest Minister Bali Bhagat otherwise plundering of green gold in Bhaderwah Forest Division will continue unabated.