Dhangadi, February 1

Two employees stationed at Area Forest Office Jorayal, Doti, have been suspended for their alleged involvement in illegal tree-felling in Jorayal area.

According to District Forest Office Doti, the suspended staffers are Area Forest Office Jorayal in-charge Assistant forest officer Sachhidananda Singh and forest guard Nar Bahadur Sahu.  District Forest Officer Badri Kumar Karki said his office had sought clarification from both Singh and Sahu before suspending the duo.

The DFO has approved Sahu’s suspension while Singh’s suspension has been sent to the Forest Department for approval. Karki said both were suspended to facilitate the investigation procedure.

Similarly, Assistant Forest Officer at Sector Forest Office Budar Suresh Chandra DC has been transferred to Regional Forest Directorate Dhangadi. The DFO stated that DC was transferred as per the directive of the directorate.

Singh and Sahu were suspended on the basis of the report presented by a team deployed for field observation after this daily published a news report on illegal tree-felling in nexus with forest employees a few days ago.

The report issued by the DFO states that trees were felled on the basis of the verbal consent of forest employees.

A team comprising officers from the DFO and regional Forest Directorate Dhangadi today left for the area where trees are being felled without permission, for a comprehensive study.