Chhendipada: It is safe to say, the Angul forest department is all talk and no walk when it comes to checking rampant felling of trees in Chhendipada area. A point in case being the check gate on Ugi-Antulia road under Jarapada range of Chhendipada block that has been lying unmanned for months together.
Locals said the timber mafias are smuggling logs through this check gate with the forest department allegedly looking the other way.
The Ugi-Antulia road has been the favourite route for timber mafias to smuggle logs out of Satkosia, Antulia and Tanisi reserve forests. After repeated demands of locals, the department had come up with a check gate and a house nearby to put the timber mafias on a check and contain rampant feeling of trees. It has also deployed a forester there to man the beat.
That said, locals alleged they have hardly seen a man doing his duty near the gate. The house near the gate is also in ruins as it neither gets used nor does it get maintained regularly.
With the gate lying unmanned 24X7, timber mafias are seen making the most out of the situation, carrying truckloads of timber on the stretch with little fear of law.
When contacted, Jarapada range officer Hrudananda Naik admitted it that the forester posted at the gate comes to his duty once in a blue moon leading to the poor state of the house. “He has been asked many a time to place his reasons on record as to why he remains absent from his duty but no change has been noticed in his attitude. The higher-ups would soon be intimated about the present state of affairs,” he added.
Local residents have demanded the house be repaired soon and the gate be made functional with deployment of a sincere officer.
PNN