Excelsior Correspondent
RAJOURI, June 27: The Forest Department (T) team, assisted by Forest Protection Force and local police, seized nearly sixty timber scants/sleepers and sealed four saw mills operating illegally in Kotranka (Kandi) area of district Rajouri today.
Reports said acting on a specific information, a team of Forest Department led by DFO Rajouri, Dr V. Senthil Kumar along with SHO Kotranka.,Mohd Rafiq conducted raids at four different saw mills on the basis of some inputs that ‘illegally managed’ huge timber was lying in the premises of these saw mills. It was learnt that some insiders in the department at lower level, were regularly supplying the timber to them.
During raid some of the owners of the saw mills fled and went under ground. The team during day long operation seized nearly sixty (80) timber scants / sleepers of kail and other species from the premises of these saw mills. It was learnt that the timber was being managed by these timber traders illegally and the saw mills had also no valid permission.
Chief Conservator of Forests, Jammu Ravi Kesar when contacted said that all the four saw mills, being operating illegally were sealed and cases registered against the owners. He said the source of timber supply to these saw mills will be established during the probe by Forest team. Mr Kesar said First Class Magistrate (Tehsildar) was also accompanying the Forest team during the operation. Even the team had to broke open the locks of two saw mills as owners escaped before raid.
The saw mills sealed by Forest team belonged to Mohd Shabir, son of Mohd Shafi of Kotranka, Mohd Aslam, son of Mohd Mishri, resident of Kotranka, Mohd Yousuf, son of Haji Abdullah, resident of Kandi and Mohd Shabir, resident of Habbi in Kandi. A case was registered in this connection and saw mills were dismantled.
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