KATHMANDU: Various organisations of the technical employees under the Ministry of Forest and Soil Conservation (MoFSC) today blamed the ministry for promoting corruption.

Leaders of three associations — Nepal Foresters' Association (NFA), Nepal Rangers' Association (NRA) and Junior Foresters' Association Nepal (JFAN) —alleged that the MoFSC was wasting time on the transfer of officials, tender processes and promoting timber and wildlife smugglers rather than zeroing in on key conservation issues.

"It's really unfortunate that I have to reveal such a harsh reality. Actually, very few officials are worried over the problems plaguing forest sector as everything has been politicised," said Devesh Mani Tripathi, president, NFA.

The MoFSC is one of the ministries where transfer of the bureaucrats is very frequent.

"I'd like to reveal that there is very high bargain of kickback for arranging transfer in the 'attractive districts'. And, each time the minister is changed, the rush gains a momentum," lamented Tripathi. The "attractive districts" are those where deforestation is everyday phenomenon and other Tarai districts where timber smuggling is common.

The associations also expressed solidarity with the movement to exert pressure on the authorities concerned to bring the real culprits to book, who were involved in the murder of a forest guard Ramlal Shah in Rautahat district a few weeks ago.