Bridle the unbridled!
- Akhnoor Police turns blind eye to trucks loaded with illegal Khair crossing their Nakas.
jj correspondent
Jammu, Mar 01: Why the Forest department helpless to check the illegal cutting/felling especially in Akhnoor and Khour Sub Divisions and some contractors are making mockery of it? Why the police of concerned areas not putting a strict check on such activities? Why the officers of Forest department are in deep slumber and indirectly supporting the timber smuggler? Why some of contractors are misusing their permissions by cutting/felling trees or khair trees which or not within their permission purview? These are very harsh and tough questions for the Forest, Police and revenue departments to come clean over it as people want to make them accountable.
The reports said that some contractors have got permission for cutting/felling and transportation for limited areas and tress but they are misusing their permissions beyond their permitted areas to drain the state exchequer by illegally cutting the trees. The police of Akhnoor and Khour instead of checking the smuggling of timber, ensuring safe passage to smuggle of timber under the grab of permission. The revenue department is also in deep slumber and not performing its duties accordingly.
Some blue eyed cops (two newly appointed karya khas) were found sitting at forest check posts from where they were managing grafts from the trucks loaded with illegal khair woods. They even allowed the loaded trucks to cross from the old iron bridge as the government has banned the passage of load trucks from the said bridge.
The evidence regarding crossing of loaded trucks from the banned old bridge is in our possession, which clearly shows that heavy loaded trucks crossing old steel bridge Akhnoor in presence of police cops.
It is pertinent to mention that around 8-10 contractors including some locals and some from other districts are involved in this illegal smuggling of khairwood.
I would like to mention here that last year there were the same stories but it is being felt that tjhe Forest and revenue departments have not learnt anything and no action was taken to arrest smuggling of timber under the garb of permission.
The issue is very sensitive and should be taken seriously. The Supreme Court, in past also expressed its concern and issued several guidelines. The need of the hour is that DC Jammu must step in this issue and constitute an Independent SIT to enquire about this entire issue, besides to fix loss of government exchequer.
The photographs clearly speaks the presence of two Karya Khas of SHO Akhnoor at forest check posts indicates that SHO Akhnoor is well aware about the whole incident and somehow is hand in glove.
Police Cops at Police Posts on both sides of the bridge claim that they have to follow orders from their officer. They claim they are petty SPOs who can’t refuse orders.
