news details |
|
|
| Chaman seeks CBI inquiry in forest fire incidents | | | Early Times Reporter
Jammu | Nov 12
Voicing serious concern over the mystery fires in the forests of Doda-Kishtwar, the former Union Minister and a senior leader of the BJP, Prof. Chaman Lal Gupta has demanded inquiry into these incidents by CBI or some other independent agency.
Responding to telephone calls from BJP leader of Paddar, Janki Nath Thakur, and deputations from Doda-Kishtwar areas Chaman said that it was strange that such mystery fires are causing devastation and great damage to the forest wealth but the Government Authorities are failing to check the menace which is raising its ugly head after intervals.
He said that because of these fires the entire ecology is being badly affected as along with costly trees and medical plants, lakhs of animals and birds are being burnt alive.
In summer months such fires were attributed to heat and weather conditions but in winter these forest fires speak volumes as the foul play is evident because these fires have marked sharp rise after the Supreme Court verdict directing ban on the felling of green trees, he added.
The BJP leader recalled that during past years there over 60 mystery fires in the timber depots of Doda and other areas in which many lakhs of costly timber sleepers were gutted resulting in loss of hundreds of crores. Not a single guilty was punished although many of these cases were entrusted for inquiry to the Crime Branch of the State Police, and almost all these cases were closed as “untraced” but now such mystery fires are going on with little action by the government to check the devastation.
The deputationists explained to Prof. Gupta that after such fires to the forests the damaged trees are allotted to certain influential elements to extract timber and get richer and richer.
Janki Nath Thakur said that because of forest fires in Paddar areas there is smoke cloud in the sky and this smoke is causing breathing and other health problems. He expressed doubts about the banafides of ruling leaders and said that this devastation would make the life more difficult in these remote and backward areas. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
