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Journalism of Courage
NAGPUR, MARCH 10: The Maharashtra State Forest Guards and Promoted Foresters’ Union warned the State Government if it takes action against forest guards and foresters on the illicit tree-felling incident in Chandrapur-Gadchiroli, the union would launch a massive agitation.
Addressing a press conference, Ajay Patil, president of the union, described the entire episode as an "exaggerations" and demanded a judicial probe into the allegations made by former minister Shobhatai Phanavis against Forest department.
Phadnavis alleged that teakwood worth of over Rs 100 crore were cut illegally in border districts of Chandrapur and Gadchiroli and smugggled into the neighbouring Andhra Pradesh in recent past.
While making the allegations she pointed out that there was a nexus between the Forest officials and the smugglers in the illicit tree-felling.
The union said that any attempt to take action against forest employees without initiating a judicial enquiry would force the union to resort to protests and demonstrations.
If the enquiry is not conducted properly there is all possibility that the innocent forest workers at the lower rank would be made scapegoats, he pointed out.
According to Patil, the process of illicit-felling as claimed by Phadnavis as an act of recent past was wrong. Instead it has been going on for the last several years.
He described the allegations of the former minister as "politically motivated" and pointed out that her allegations were not based on any facts and figure.
Patil asserted that the recent illicit tree-felling were carried out in the borders districts by Andhra Pradesh forest contractors with the help of Naxalites.
The Naxalites of Peoples’ War Group (PWG) are active in these districts for the last two decades and it was difficult for the forest employees to work in those thick forest areas without arms, he said.
He informed that several forest guards and foresters were beaten up by Naxalites when they resisted such acts in those areas in recent past. The PWG members even threatened the Range Forest Officer (RFO) of Sironcha, Chakole, who was suspended in the wake of the "scandal" recently, he further informed.
The union leader said that despite the repeated demands to provide arms to the forest personnel, nothing was materialised so far. He reminded that the then chief minister, Manohar Joshi, had assured them a few years back to provide arms to forest personnel.
He reiterated that arms be provided to Forest personnel immediately, particularly who were working in Naxalite infested districts.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Conservator of Forests (DyCF) of Sironcha division, Thengdi, who was asked to proceed on long leave, has been suspended.
