Taking benefit of the lax law and order situation in the aftermath of the restoration of democracy, an organized gang of ‘forest mafia’ is having a field day in the mid-western district of Banke, reports said.
According to Kantipur daily, the District Forest Office of Banke had granted permission to fell trees worth Rs 284.22 million over the last three months. But the trees that were felled down during this period were worth more than three times.
The news report said that the local Maoist leaders allowed felling off of trees after collecting 40 percent ‘tax’ that would go into their party coffers.
Nepalnews repeatedly tried to contact local Maoist leaders in Banke to confirm the news but could not reach them.
When contacted by Nepalnews, District forest officer of Banke, Yogendra Prasad Yadav, however, said that felling off the trees had already stopped and they were counting the number of trees that had been felled earlier.
He refuted reports that felling off of trees still continued in the bordering district. “I have not given order to fell even a single tree after I came here,” he said.
Yadav said that 80 percent of the evaluation work was over and that the exact quantity of trees that were felled earlier would be calculated within a couple of days.
Acting Chief district officer of Banke district, Krishna Shyam Budathoki said that there was control in felling of trees after the installation of new government in the country. He, however, admitted that smuggling of timber was rampant in the past since security personnel did not venture into jungles due to Maoist threats.
Officials at the Ministry of Forest and Soil Conservation in Kathmandu told Nepalnews that they suspended two Rangers posted at the District Forest Office, Banke– Sushil Mandal and Ram Ganesh Shah—on charges of assisting ‘forest mafia’ to smuggle trees in connivance with the Maoists. The decision was taken after a joint secretary level team from the Ministry conducted on-the-spot study to find out the truth.
The Ministry has also asked former district forest officer Krishna Raj Basukala to report to the Department of Forest for his alleged involvement in the scandal. Ministry sources said investigation was underway into the incident.
Nepal has the history of forest resources turning first target during the time of political transition as seen in 1979-80, 1989-90 and 2005-06. Officials, on condition of anonymity, allege that Maoist guerrillas using forests as their ‘hide outs’ and their alleged connivance with the ‘forest mafia’ has almost lost the control of the government on the natural resource.