Baripada: A Forest squad deployed to check timber smuggling is allegedly selling forest produce from Kaptipada for the past few months in connivance with smugglers.
Ironically, the Forest Department which is aware of the fact has not taken any action to check timber smuggling.
Sources said, forest ranges like Deuli, Rasagobindapur, Betanati, Kaptipada, Udala, Dukura, Pithabataand and Bangiriposi come under the Baripada Forest Division. Timber smuggling from these ranges is not new. But now wood is being smuggled to Balasore district from the Betanati forest range.
Elephants, tigers, bears and other wild animals are now entering human settlements due to deforestation. Forest officials are busy keeping tabs on elephant movement, and the timber mafia is using this opportunity to smuggle wood from forests.
The Baripada Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), in consultation with the former Wildlife Warden, had constituted a squad by hiring four or five local youths in Kaptipada forest range to check timber smuggling.
The youths won the confidence of Forest officials by informing them about a few smuggling cases. The Forest officials arrested two timber mafia gangs on the basis of information provided by the youths.
Interestingly, Betanati Forest Range DFO Ghanasyam Singh had arrested two youths of the squad – Rajesh Kumar Barik and Praffula Patra – while they were smuggling timber from the forest along with the mafia May 31.
A pick-up van used by the mafia to transport timber was also seized. Ghanashyam said the van was loaded with Sal wood. A case was also registered in this connection.
During interrogation Rajesh said he was told to keep tabs on the movement of the timber mafia for three months in Kaptipada Forest Range and for that he was offered a salary.
He said Forest officials failed to pay him although he was providing information about the mafia. Rajesh said he was forced to collude with the timber smugglers due to this.
As per records of the Baripada DFO, 511 four and two-wheeled vehicles were seized in the last five years from the eight forest ranges for smuggling timber.
When Baripada Forest Department DFO Swayam Kumar Mallik was asked about this, he said the involvement of the informer with the timber mafia is true. But he denied smuggling of timber from the Baripada Forest Range. He said the smugglers and informers chopped trees from private lands and sold them.
Swayam said investigation is on into the matter. “We will strengthen patrolling to reduce timber smuggling,” he said.