HT Correspondent
Margherita, July 10: On June 29 and July 1, 2023, the Margherita Forest department and central department of Dibrugarh successfully seized two vehicles loaded with illegal timber. ‘The Hills Times’ had previously published news articles exposing corruption within the Forest department. However, on Monday, three additional timber-laden vehicles with registration numbers AS 01 PC 9598, AS 01 PC 8053, and AS 01 PC 5992 were found transporting timber from M/S Innao Wood Products in Namfhai, Arunachal Pradesh. These vehicles crossed the Namchik Forest Gate under the Jagun Forest Range Office of the Digboi Forest Division at 5:30 am.
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Following a complaint filed by Devid Phukan, vice president of the Assam Pradesh Youth Congress State Committee, the three timber vehicles were apprehended in Dergaon, Golaghat district, for verification. Phukan expressed his disappointment, stating that it was unfortunate that a transit permit (TP) was being illegally used multiple times. As per Arunachal Pradesh Forest department rules, a TP is valid for three days. However, it has come to light that Forest department officials are issuing TPs without verifying the timber or marking the loaded vehicles within 24 hours, which is against forest rules and regulations.
According to Devid Phukan, there is an active timber syndicate operating in the border reserve forest areas between Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. Thousands of precious trees, such as mecai, laali, hollock, teeta chapa, bon bogori, gon sorai, and shaam, are mercilessly chopped down daily and supplied to different parts of Assam. The syndicate uses a single TP for more than five timber vehicles, resulting in significant revenue losses for both the Assam and Arunachal Pradesh governments.
The Assam Pradesh Youth Congress Committee has recently filed a complaint with the Forest department in Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh, regarding the ongoing timber syndicate operations in Jairampur, Namphai, Namsai, Miao, Chowkham, and Medu. M/S Maharaja Forest Products located at 17th Mile Jairampur was seized for three months. However, there appears to be an unholy nexus between the Namphai Forest Range Office and the timber syndicate gang, as they continue to issue TPs within 24 hours and reuse them multiple times. Devid Phukan demands that both the chief ministers of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh take strict action against corrupt Forest department officials and timber factory owners who collude with the timber syndicate gang. The ongoing corruption is causing substantial revenue losses for both governments and must be addressed immediately.
