Forest and Soil Conservation Minister Matrika Yadav has said smuggling is continually on the rise in the forest sector because of some rapacious government employees working at different echelons of the administration.

Forest and Soil Conservation Minister Matrika Yadav (File Photo)

Forest and Soil Conservation Minister Matrika Yadav (File Photo)
Minister Yadav’s allegation comes at a time when reports of red sandalwood smuggling have been hogging the media headlines almost daily.

“Because of a few corrupt people the image of all the people working in the forest sector have become tarnished,” he said, adding that there is a growing influence of the corrupt lot in the forest sector and that he has become a forest minister to expose them before the public.

“There is also involvement of top government officials in the smuggling of red sandalwood,” revealed Minister Yadav speaking at a programme organised by Nepal Rangers Association on the occasion of its 18th anniversary in the capital city Monday.

Saying that he was doing all he could do to stop it, Minister Yadav called upon all the officials to curb smuggling of red sandalwood and other valuable forest resources.

Minister Yadav had last month publicly blamed the Nepal Army of being involved in felling trees and killing wild animals like deer and wild boars, a claim which led to his bitter row with the Prime Minister during a cabinet meeting.