Forest minister admits mafia-staff nexus

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Link:

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1060120/asp/northeast/story_5742583.asp

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Forest minister admits mafia-staff nexus

A STAFF REPORTER

Guwahati, Jan. 19: Under pressure from all sides, forest minister

Pradyut Bordoloi today admitted to the presence of " timber mafia "

which, in collusion with forest officials, was plundering forest

resources.

 

The forest department has come under the scanner following the

arrest of one of its senior personnel, ranger K.Z. Zaman Jinnah, for

his alleged involvement in the death of Golaghat-based journalist

Prahlad Gowala, who had been reporting about the loot of forest

resources.

 

Bordoloi also said that he had written to chief minister Tarun Gogoi

for a CBI inquiry into the death of Gowala.

 

The journalist was knocked down by Jinnah's vehicle at Thuramukh in

Golaghat district on January 6.

 

" There is the existence of localised timber mafia, " a candid

Bordoloi told newspersons here. " I also want the inquiry to be

impartial and reveal the entire truth surrounding the death for

which a CBI inquiry is required. The incident has greatly hurt the

morale of the forest staff, " he said.

 

The minister said the forest department suspended Jinnah on January

9 after he was arrested the previous day.

 

" Nobody actually reported the matter to me. I came to know of it

only from newspaper reports, " the minister said after coming under

fire from the media for the delay in taking action.

 

" Not everything comes to my notice. It is a huge department where

inquiries are conducted by senior officers as there are a host of

allegations and counter-allegations, " he admitted.

 

A three-member inquiry committee has been set up to probe the

allegations against Jinnah.

 

Combing operations have also been launched in the reserve forests of

Golaghat to net personnel involved in cutting trees.

 

Bordoloi said forest personnel have been placed all along national

highways to keep tabs on people responsible for smuggling out forest

resources.

 

He also pointed out the " limitations of forest staff in doing such

duty as they are attacked by armed people " .

 

Bordoloi said during his tenure as a forest minister, action had

been taken against 180 erring forest officials while three were on

the verge of being dismissed.

 

" Nobody will be spared if evidence is found against any forest

official involved in malpractice. "

 

He said the Forest Survey of India Report, 2003 had revealed that

Assam's forest cover was 36 per cent of its geographical area at

present and that around 1,000 joint management committees were

protecting the forests since 2003.