‘Sunil patel issue just tip of iceberg’

Even as the state government has taken up an ambitious tree plantation programme, illegal felling and smuggling of woods is proving to be a major hurdle for the government. Sources in the forest department informed that Rs 16 crores worth of wood illegally cut from the state forests was seized between 1993-94 to 1996-97 during the Congress rule.

According to sources, such thefts are going on unabated till date, the inter-state kher wood smuggling and alleged involvement of Sunil Patel, son of forest minister Kanji Patel is just the tip of the iceberg.

On one hand the state forest department gives green signal to ambitious tree plantation programme in areas bordering the Narmada canal to add more green cover to the state while on the other hand forest officials facilitate massive, unauthorized wood cutting business running into crores of rupees. Sources say that the demand for wood far outweighs supply leading to perpetual shortage in the state. Sources said that 1.50 lakh trees had been cut during the Congress rule.

Forest officials said requirement of fuel wood in the state is 111 tonnes every year against the availability which is mere 57 per cent of the demand. Requirement of wood for furniture is 14.50 lakh cubic meter against the availability of 1.40 lakh cubic meter. This compels the state to import wood from abroad and also purchase it from other states.

Republished from The Asian Age