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| Illegal felling of Khair trees: Range Officer, Block Officer Reasi Forest Division suspended | | | 
Ajay Sharma
Early Times Report
Reasi, Apr 19: Taking note of a news story ‘Powerful Range Officer facilitates ‘Khair Wood’ cutting, transportation illegally’, published in April 19 edition of Early Times the Chief Conservator of Forest Jammu today suspended Range Officer and Block Officer Reasi Forest Division.
The copy of suspension order No. 82 of 2021 Dated.19 /04 /2021 states that consequent to the serious nature of complaints received through many quarters and also in print and electronic media regarding illegal felling and transportation of Khair in Pouni Block and Thakrakote Range of Reasi Forest Division and further taking into consideration of the serious nature of allegations leveled against Verinder Singh, I/c Range Officer Thakrakote Range of Reasi Forest Division and Vipin Sharma, I/c Block Forest Officer, Pouni Block of Reasi Forest Division they are hereby placed under suspension with immediate effect, pending enquiry and are hereby attached with the O/o Conservator of Forests, West Circle, Rajouri and O/o Divisional Forest Officer, Reasi respectively, till further orders. Pertinently, Early Times on Monday had carried a news story about , an ‘influential’ Range Officer posted in Jammu Division of the Forest Department allegedly facilitating ‘Khair Wood’ cutting cum transportation illegally. Sources informed that this Range Officer allegedly in connivance with Divisional Forest Officer and Block Officer has been carrying out malpractice in the division. They informed that earlier the permission for transportation was fixed upto March 31 but later it was extended to April 30, 2021. “There is a guideline that transportation of Khair wood can’t be allowed during night hours. But yesterday a tractor loaded with Khair wood was stopped in the evening by police at a nakka but shockingly after 20 minutes the concerned Range Officer reached the spot and got it released from police,” they added. They further said that the tractor had to go 50 kms away from that spot. The geo tagged photo of a tractor loaded with Khair wood and the vehicle of a Range Officer are in possession of Early Times, which vindicate that illegal transportation was being carried out. When Early Times tried to contact a senior official in this connection he expressed his helplessness and said that he can’t do anything in this matter. It has been leant that the alleged Range Officer is backed by a high profile politician due to which nobody dares to touch him. Not only this even the local residents informed the concerned Conservator of Forest and Chief Conservator of Forest about illegal cutting and transportation of Khair Wood but no action was taken by them till date. |
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