PASIGHAT, 30 Oct: The Arunachal Students Association (ASA) here in East Siang district has reiterated its demand for the suspension of Pasighat Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Tashi Mize and Chief Conservator of Forest (CCF) Pekyom Ringu, alleging that they failed to check illegal logging and misused CAMPA funds.
“Following repeated complaints from the ASA, supported by various raw photo and video evidences of rampant felling and destruction of forests by timber mafias and other illegal sawmills (bend sawmills) unabatedly operating in East Siang district, the state government formed an inquiry committee on 19 October to investigate the ground reality and the extent of damages as alleged by the ASA.
“Accordingly, the inquiry team, led by Eastern Arunachal Circle CCF Tarun Johri, visited Pasighat and its reserve forest (RF) areas, including the industrial zone areas, where licensed sawmills operated from 27-29 October. The inquiry team, with the help of the ASA, led by its president Lungkang Ering, visited various parts of Pasighat reserve forest areas under the Pasighat forest division,” it said.
The association said that its members showed to the inquiry team the stumps of recently felled trees, as well as felled logs on both banks of the Siang river at the Pasighat reserve forest.
“The inquiry team was also shocked to see the amount of destruction and felling of big trees near Pasighat. Some of the trees, which were said to be standing since the British era plantation, were seen felled by timber mafias which were never restricted and controlled by the forest department of the district,” the association added.
“We wanted to show all the illegal timber felling sites to the inquiry team, but Johri sir assured that he found the complaint of illegal timber operation true and he will submit an unbiased report to the authorities for further necessary action,” Ering said.
However, the ASA expressed apprehension that the inquiry team “may be influenced by some political leaders and others as the Pasighat DFO and the CCF are using all means of lobby.”
“We have requested the inquiry head to genuinely report the amount and extent of damages of timber felling under Pasighat forest division, which has taken place due to complete negligence and incompetence and connivance of forest officers with the timber mafias,” said Ering.
Demanding immediate action against the DFO and the CCF, the association sought “immediate posting of a dedicated IFS officer in Pasighat forest division, as Pasighat is a cadre division and posting of a cadre officer is a must here.”
The association added that it will “keep on fighting and approaching the higher authorities, including to the union environment, forest & climate change ministry, the PMO, and the National Green Tribunal if genuine and true ground reports are not submitted to the authorities for appropriate action against the erring officers for easily letting large-scale destruction of forests to take place.”
The ASA also sought an investigation into the alleged misuse of CAMPA funds sanctioned for the Pasighat forest division.
“These funds, worth crores, were supposed to be utilised in forest conservation (soil & moisture conservation in reserve forest areas), but have been diverted to flood control works and agricultural areas of private individuals by the DFO,” Ering claimed.
He appealed to all political leaders to not try to defend the erring officers, adding that, “if found anyone’s backing and supporting the wrongdoings of these officers, those people and leaders will be also made party in the illegalities.”
