The inquiry committee, which is formed to investigate the illegal Teak wood felling case of Parseoni taluka, has started probing the number of teak trees illegally felled in forest fringes mainly near the agriculture fields in the taluka. In its interim report, the committee informed that the illegal felling of Teak wood took place not only inside the forest area but also in forest fringes. In the recently held review meeting held at the Divisional Commissionerate in city, the revenue minister of the state, Chandrshekhar Bawankule, directed the forest department to suspend the responsible forest officer who was involved in felling 9,547 teak wood trees in Salai Tekadi in the Parseoni taluka. Bawankule also instructed the Conservator of Forest (Territorial) to prepare an inquiry report of the investigation.

 

Srilakshmi A, Conservator of Forest (Territorial), Nagpur, recently suspended Ravindra Ghadge, Assistant Conservator of Forest, and Anil Bhagat, RFO, for their involvement in the case. The seven-member committee consists of P G Kodape, DFO (Vigilance); Pandurang Pakhale, ACF, Katol; Avinash Meshram; Amarjeet Pawar, ACF, Wardha; Kishor Kohad; Deepak Bhange; and Sagir Sheikh, who are investigating the matter. As per the information, the forest department gave permission to fell 6,067 teak trees in a revenue land area of 10.81 hectares in Salai Tekdi in Parseoni taluka to Mohammad Ahmed Mohammad Usman Nagani, a resident of Kamptee.

 

The forest department extended the time for felling of trees as Nagani failed to cut the trees in the given time period. Whereas the investigative team found that apart from 6,067 trees, more trees were felled in an agriculture field of Shyamrao Jhibal Purkam, a resident of Tekadi. While investigating, more trees were chopped off in some other agricultural fields as well. To go into the deep in the case, the inquiry committee asked for more time from the administration as more things were to be explored in the matter.

 

“There are chances that more such tree felling took place in other places as well, and it should be enquired by the committee. Initially, Shrilakshmi A proposed to suspend the round officer and forest guard only, but after proper investigation, she proposed to suspend the ACF and RFO also,” Naresh Jhurmure, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (Protection), told The Hitavada.