Three J-K forest officials suspended for 'dereliction in duty'

Three officials of the forest department were today suspended for alleged dereliction in duty, and an enquiry ordered into the 'illegal' felling of a large number of Green Fur, Pine and Cedar trees in Bhaderwah belt of Doda district.
"Taking cognisance of the gravity of large-scale illegal felling, I personally visited the area and immediately placed three officials including Forester, Beat Guard and Helper under suspension and an enquiry has been initiated against these officials," DFO Bhadarwah T P Singh said today.
He said the culprits have been booked under 6 Forest Act and proceedings initiated against them under 26 Forest Act.

The DFO, who ordered suspension of three forest officials for alleged dereliction of their duty and facilitating timber smuggling, has also recommended suspension of Range Officer of Chirala Range to the Principal Chief Conservator Forests.
"Five locals have been also booked for illegal felling and smuggling of timber. Meanwhile, police has refused to register an FIR and arrest the accused booked by the Forest Department," he said.
"In Compartment 3 and 5 of Chirala Range of Bhadarwah Forest Division, 1,691 CFT of Green Timber has been seized from the possession of five timber smugglers of Draman hamlet in Tanta Panchayat," said DFO Bhadarwah.

"We approached Gandoh police station also to get the FIR registered and to arrest the culprits, but police refused to accept our report and did not take cognisance which I have brought to the notice of higher ups of Forest and Police Dept," Singh alleged.

The suspended Forest officials include Forester Sajjad Ahmed Rather, Beat Guard Angeel Singhand Helper Mohd Ayoub.
The locals who have been booked are identified as Atta Mohd, Sajjad Ahmed, Jaffer Hussain, Irshad Ahmed and Fareed Ahmed, all residents of Draman village in Tanta Panchayat, Tehsil Kahara of Doda district.
However, residents of Tanta Panchayat alleged that Forest officials are making gullible villagers of this inaccessible area as scapegoats as they have been paying regularly to the Forest officials even for Firewood, and there was no question of extracting timber without their prior permission.

"Forest officials are solely responsible for the damage and just to save their skin they are booking and harassing the villagers for no fault of theirs," said Sarpanch Tanta Panchayat Mohd Ramzan.
He charged that Forest officials in this area act like goons and always charge hefty amounts from the villagers even for the firewood extracted from the fallen trees.
Located at a height of 6,300 feet, Chirala Range of Bhadarwah Forest Division is a mountainous Valley, filled with coniferous forests on all sides but illegal deforestation is depleting the green cover rapidly and hills which once housed dense forests are becoming barren at an alarming pace.