Narayangarh, March 3 :

The CPN-Maoist cadres are selling sisso trees (Dalbergia sissu) after felling them at a private forest at ward numbers 6 and 9 of Kumroj VDC in the Chitwan district.

Of the 85 bigha of sisso forest, belonging to the Pumori Agro-Forestry Industry Private Ltd, the Maoist cadres are felling sisso trees on 65 bigha of lands since mid-February. The Maoists also took away bamboos from this forest for the construction of camps in Jutpani and Shaktikhor in Chitwan district.

“We are cutting down some dried trees to sell from the forest which has been captured by our party,” said Krishna Aryal, in-charge of the Maoists’ number 4 area. He was also on the site while loading of woods in trucks was going on. “We have started cutting down trees as per our party’s direction. The bamboos were also cut down following the party’s direction,” he said.

We will keep the forest under out control until our party joins the interim government, he said, adding, “We sold some wood to contractors, some were taken to Maoists’ temporary camps and the rest of the timber was sold to brick factories.”

“According to land ceiling policy of CPN-Maoist, we captured the forest area which has been spread over 10 bigha of land,” said Maoist district secretary Pathik. He added, “We tried to talk with the land owners. However they have not come into our contact,” Pathik said.

“Gopal Bhandari of Mercantile Group is the proprietor of the Pumori Agro Forestry. He has gone to Delhi for his son’s treatment,” said Raju Silwal, manager of Kumroj branch office of the Pumori Agro Forestry.

The forest-land is the result of plantings by locals in 2042 BS, when floods in Rapti river damaged their crops in 2041BS. Later, the land was purchased by the Pumori Agro Forestry, said Silwal.

The Maoists captured it in April 20, 2004. “The Maoists took around 4,000 pieces of bamboos to construct camps. They also started felling and selling trees since February 17,” Silwal said.

When the Maoists intensified cutting down trees, Silwal had forwarded an application to the Chief District Officer (CDO) urging help for stopping Maoists from felling trees a week ago.

“The administration can do nothing at the local level,” said CDO Netra Bahadur Rawal. The Maoists took bamboos worth Rs 500,000 and wood and timbers worth a million rupees from the forest, Silwal said.