KNF threats force closure of Forest offices at Motbung, Koubru range : 09th oct12 ~ E-Pao! Headlines

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KNF threats force closure of Forest offices at Motbung, Koubru range
Offices kept under lock since Sept 28
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, October 08 2012: Following reported threats from KNF which is a party to the tripartite SoO pact, office of the Motbung Forest Range Officer and the Koubru Forest Beat office located at Sapermaina have been closed.

Sources informed that no staff could attend the two offices which are functioning under the Northern Forest Division since September 28 as they could not fulfil the demand of KNF.

Subsequently, Forest revenue which go to the State exchequer from the two offices on daily basis is no longer forthcoming.

On learning about closure of the two offices since September 28 due to threats from KNF, a team of media persons visited the two offices this morning and found them locked.

With the closure of the two offices, seizure and collection of taxes for transportation of illegal and legal forest produces have been put on hold.

The media team saw free movement of vehicles carrying forest produces irrespective of whether they were legal or illegal.

The KNF has been demanding documents about all the activities of Northern Forest Division between 2001 and 2011 .

Deserted forest office and locked gate tell the story

As a rule, no officials are posted in the same place for ten years.

As such the present officials have little idea about the activities carried out under different officials during the last ten years, and hence they are unable to produce the relevant documents.

Officials of the Northern Forest Department have conveyed their inability to produce the documents to the KNF.

At this, the KNF indirectly demanded Rs 10 lakhs.

It is reported that the Home Department has been approached to take up necessary actions with regard to the activities of a particular Kuki UG group which is under a process of dialogue with the Government.

In response, the Home Department deployed five/six security personnel each in the two offices since October 6 .

Employees started attending their offices on the same day but two cadres of KNF came and asked the employees to close the offices.

The security personnel deployed there could not do anything.

No employee is willing to attend the two offices which remained shut till date.

* This news is as published by respected news daily at Imphal, whose name is duly marked as 'Source'. E-Pao.net is not responsible for it's sanctity & originality.

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