Asomiya Yuva Mancha burns effigies of Forest Minister, DFO in Lakhimpur

LAKHIMPUR: Massive deforestation continues across Lakhimpur district causing alarming threat to the environment and biodiversity.

A gang of timber smugglers, allegedly in nexus with a section of dishonest forest employees, has unabatedly cut the valuable trees in the Dollung, Ranga and other reserve forests under the district for their material gain.

As a result of it, the Siya Nahor (Mesua ferrera), the continentally acclaimed valuable tree found in Dollung Reserve Forest, is on the verge of extinction. Simultaneously, the illegal marketing of the filed timber of Shimalu tree (Bombax cebia), by transporting through River Subansiri, also continues.

But the matter of serious concern is that the Lakhimpur Forest Division has allegedly failed to check the deforestation and illegal activities of the timber smugglers. Rather, it is alleged that a section of forest official is directly and indirectly involved in the deforestation activities.

Expressing vehement resentment over this, the Lakhimpur district unit of Asomiya Yuva Mancha (AYM) took to the streets on Monday with protest programme. The activists of the organization burnt the effigies of State Environment and Forest Minister Parimal Suklabaidya and Lakhimpur Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Jadab Chandra Nath in front of the DFO office, condemning their 'lackadaisical attitude' with regard to stepping forward in order to protect the forest resources. The protesters flayed the minister and the DFO by shouting various slogans.

Taking part in the protest programme, AYM central committee organizing secretary Anupom Saikia demanded the transfer of the DFO from the district. He alleged that various deforestation and forest resource exploitation activities, like illegal stone crushing, running of illegal sand and stone quarries, and black marketing of timber had been going on in the district because of his failure to control them. He demanded the DFO to control them immediately. Further, he demanded the Chief Minister to launch an imperial probe through his Vigilance Cell into the deforestation complaints in the district.

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