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| State Forest Minister's open loot of timber | | News Channel expose | | AGENCIES
SRINAGAR, June 10: There is open looting of timber going on in the state right under Chief Minister Omar Abdullah's nose and it is being done by his own minister. In a sting operation carried out by a national news channel, a Forester spills the beans on how the state's Forest Minister Mian Altaf is allegedly misusing his power, looting a precious natural resource. What's shocking is that he is apparently not the first minister to do this.
Reporter: Can you tell us who is the Forester for compartments 30-35 and so on?
Abdul Ghani: It's me. Looks, if he is the forest guard and tree felling is going on he has to report to me. Then I will go for inspection. But this phenomenon of tree felling by ministers is something that the world knows about. It has no end and nothing can be done about it.
Look I will tell you, when Farooq Abdullah goes to Forest Minister Mian Altaf's place and walks over those timber logs, has he ever told him where he got the wood from. It's a simple thing.
Reporter: Why don't you tell the police about it? When you ask these timber cutters from where they are taking it what do they say?
Abdul Ghani: They say it's for langer.
Reporter: Which langer?
Abdul Ghani: Baba Nagri langer.
Reporter: Is this for Altaf Sahib langer?
Abdul Ghani: Yes.
Reporter: Then why don't you stop them?
Abdul Ghani: When you are confronted by a 100 people or a mob what can you do, how will you stop them?
Reporter: Does all this timber go to Mian Altaf's place?
Abdul Ghani: Yes, of course. Where else would it go?
Reporter: Are you under pressure from the minister?
Abdul Ghani: Please understand that the minister will not come directly to us that we have to cut trees for timber. What happens is, when the time comes the whole village comes down…. About 100 or 200 of them. What can one forest employee do to stop them? What can I do? If you were in my place you tell me could you go in and confront 100 people. They will kill you. I told my Ranger the same thing yesterday and he asked me to go, I said no. I said I don't want to get myself insulted or killed.
Mian Altaf is a forest minister in today's time but he was not around 4 years ago. It was Qazi Afzal. At that time as well this cutting used to happen. During Mohi-ud-din Sofi's times the cutting continued. When Farooq Abdullah was CM, Ahmed Sofi came and sat on the same logs. Did he ask him what is this? Did he bother?
Reporter: Was that also the same thing?
Abdul Ghani: Yes of course. Otherwise where do you think Mian Altaf got all that timber from? Do one thing, go to Baba Nagri. There you will find all our guards. They have to go there to pay their respects. They have to do that compulsorily. The Conservator, Chief Conservator ...they all will be there and they will not say anything. They will talk over those logs and trees and say nothing. So what can we do?
I know if it is shown in the media I will be transferred to Kargil or Ladakh. I know I have one year of service left, let it be there. |
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