Crackdown on saw mills
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, July 12 2014 :
At the instruction of the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, seizure of illegal timbers from unauthorised saw mills has been started in Thoubal district.
During a drive conducted since yesterday, four unauthorised saw mills at Yairipok and another at Heirok area were raided and 1568.877 Cu feet of timbers were seized.
The raid conducted yesterday at the four unauthorised saw mills at Yairipok area, namely M/S H Nanao Saw Mill (Khoirom), Ms/ Ingocha Singh Saw Mill (Khoirom), M/s M Vasco aw Mill (Bengi) and M/s Sh Budhi Sharma Saw Mill (Bengi) led to seizure of 1415 cu feet of Khangra round logs while in the raid at M/s N Bimol Saw Mills in Heirok area today, 153.877 cu feet of timbers were seized.
All the five unauthorised saw mills have been subsequently sealed by the staffs of Range Forest Officer, Thoubal.
It may be noted here that following the formation of Task Force to save forest and the directive given thereof, a combined operation team of Forest officials of Central Forest Division and Imphal West district police personnel also seized timbers worth around Rs 4 lakh from five unauthorised saw mills in Imphal West district on Friday.
Following orders from Divisional Forest Officer, Central Forest Division, four inspection teams each headed by a Range officer and consisting of five Forest staffs and five police commandos were formed for conductive a drive against unauthorised saw mills operating in different parts of Imphal West district.
Based on intelligence received with regard to stocking of illegal timbers by various saw mills, DFO Central Forest Division also issued search warrants under Section 72(b) of IFA, 1927 to facilitate the drive.
During the course of the drive, five saw mils namely M Ibomcha Saw Mill at Mongsangei; Jyoti Saw Mill at Thangmeiband, Mobi Saw Mill, also at Thangmeiband; Laxmi Saw Mill at Patsoi Part-IV and M Bira Saw Mill, also at Patsoi Part-IV were searched, and timbers totally 36.78 cum were found without valid transit passes in these saw mills.
Consequently, the timbers were seized, according to a statement issued by DK Vinod Kumar, IFS, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Central Forest Division, Mantripukhri.
He also pointed out that Supreme Court directive in W.P.(C) no.202/198 requires that only those saw mills which are cleared by HPC and located in approved MIEs are authorised to operate.