The Leader of Opposition in HP Assembly and former CM Jai Ram Thakur has demanded a statement from Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on the allegation of alleged illicit tree felling of a large number of green trees under Banjar Forest Division of Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh.
Thakur accused “The state government seems to be in a deep slumber when hundreds of green trees were felled by alleged forest mafia.”
He said, “Such a large number of green trees can’t be felled without the alleged connivance of certain high people sitting in the state government; on the one hand the state government is launching a movement to increase the forest cover in the state and on the other hand hundreds of green trees are being felled and timber sold in the market,” he added.
Targeting the forest department, Thakur alleged, “Despite the issue of illicit tree felling raised by local people and Banjar MLA Surender Shourie, the Forest department is showing its ignorance about the matter, which makes it abundantly clear the hand of certain power full people behind the illicit felling.”
Giving details of the episode , Thakur said , “ A forest contractor was awarded work to collect dry fallen wood in Shurag –Sheelah forest of Seraj Forest Division but the said contractor felled green trees in the forest and hundreds of ‘dimars’ (wooden planks )can be still seen stored in timber store at Chahri .”
Former CM has demanded a high level probe in the matter to bring out the truth and names of people involved in illicit tree felling, besides a statement from the CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu.
