Excelsior Correspondent
SAMBA, May 14: One more incident of illegal felling of Khair trees has been reported in forest area of village Rajinderpur in Bagoona of Samba district where the dozens of Khair trees have been cut by the timber mafia under the very nose of Forest Department which has been sleeping over the issue.
According to sources illegal felling of the trees from forest land in the area goes unabated for a long time which has also generated a lot of public resentment in the area.
Sources said district police Samba received an information regarding illegal cutting of Khair trees in forest area of the village Rajinderpur, Bagoona falling under the jurisdiction of Vijaypur Police Station. After receipt of the information a team from Vijaypur Police Station immediately rushed to spot where dozens of Khair trees were cut down by the mafia. Police has seized the timber and wood on spot and started the further investigation. However no one was arrested in this regard so far.
As soon as the Forest Department officials came to know about it, they also rushed to the spot, but the Range Forest Officer, Mohammad Saleem of the Division said that In this connection, a team will be framed to investigate the matter and whosoever will be responsible for illegally cutting of the trees will be dealt under law. However people of the area question the functioning of the Forest Department saying how a large number of trees in the forest range were cut under the very nose of the department.
They also wanted to know why the departmental officials could not take action before the police registered a case in the matter on the report of locals which indicates that the officials are in league with the mafia and how they managed to cut the Khair tress which is totally banned by the Government.
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