RAUTAHAT, JUNE 21
It has come to light that theft and smuggling of timber have been going on in nexus with officials of the forest users' committee in Rautahat.
All members, including its chairman Danda Bahadur Pulami of Janasewa Community Forest Users' Group at Chandrapur Municipality-1, face allegations that timber was cut down in collusion with smugglers.
It is reported that 14 illegally cut logs were concealed at various locations in the village. After the local forest users' protest, Ward No 1 chairman Balaram Raut and other representatives seized the hidden timber and handed them to the Division Forest Office.
Ward Chair Raut said that his office had formed a probe committee to investigate the incident. "Timber was cut down and hidden in cahoots with the forest users' committee," Raut informed.
According to Sunil Karna, chief of the Divisional Forest Office in Chandrapur, timber was cut down in nexus with all officials of the forest users' committee. He acknowledged that felled timber and logs were handed over to his office by the locals. Locals have demanded stern punishment against those officials of the forest users' committee for their involvement in tree felling.
Karna said that his office would form a committee to investigate the incident.
A version of this article appears in the print on June 22, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.
