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Huge teak trees, numbering 273, were illegally sold successful the territorial limits of the Chalakudy wood division, according to a preliminary probe carried retired by the Divisional Forest Officer of Flying Squad (Ernakulam). The trees, immoderate implicit 60 years old, were felled on an 18-km agelong from Vellikulangara Junction to Vettilapala span successful the division. Trees connected backstage holdings and assigned onshore were felled and sold cheaply, arsenic per the report.
The trees that were felled for reportedly clearing the pathway for the State elevation road were sold to a Thiruvananthapuram-based wood industries steadfast for ₹8.52 lakh against its assessed worth of ₹41.55 lakh, fixed by the Assistant Conservator of Forest (Social Forestry) Thrissur. The existent worth of the trees could beryllium adjacent higher and ascertained lone aft a elaborate assessment. The onshore on the roadworthy agelong was acquired by the Kerala Road Fund Board for the road project, according to sources.
Transport walk issued
The Forest Range Officer (Pariyaram) besides issued a No Objection Certificate for the steadfast to transport the felled trees nether the provisions of the Kerala Promotion of Tree Growth successful Non-Forest Areas Act 2005, according to the report. However, the Act specifies that a transport walk shall beryllium issued to transport lone those trees which are legally felled by the proprietor of the holding connected which they are located. The circumstances nether which the officials permitted the timber steadfast that purchased the trees to axe and transport them should beryllium probed, the study suggested.
No files connected the holdings acquired for the roadworthy task — their survey numbers and presumption — and the details of the trees sold and to beryllium axed were maintained astatine the Forest scope office, Pariyaram, oregon the Social Forestry, Thrissur Division. The section has approached the gross officials acrophobic to get the applicable details, sources said. The study besides pointed retired that the firm, which purchased the trees, has besides started cutting trees from the holdings.
On assigned land
No trees located connected assigned onshore shall beryllium illegally chopped down, sold and transported, arsenic their ownership is vested with the State government, pointed retired different study by the Additional Principal Chief Forest Conservator (Vigilance and Forest Intelligence). In the lawsuit of cutting down specified trees, they shall beryllium transported to the timber depot of the section and sold outright. The gross generated from specified income shall beryllium credited to the authorities account, said the report.
Recovery of amount
The study has besides projected that steps for recovering the mislaid magnitude shall beryllium initiated. It shall besides beryllium ensured that trees are not illegally felled from wood oregon gross land, the study directed.
Incidentally, the adjacent stretches of the projected road walk done a reserve wood area, and the section needs to get support from the Union Ministry to initiate the construction, sources said.
