Collect royalty or face the music: Forest Minister Shyamkumar
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, September 07 2017:
State authorities will take action against officers and staff of the Forest Department who have not collected royalties from those who extract forest products including sand and stone, informed Forest and Environment Minister Thounaojam Shyamkumar today .
Minister Shyamkumar was speaking to mediapersons after one of the surprise visits at Kanglatongbi, where with the help of his escorts, he personally checked several sand-and-stone-carrying trucks to look into the payment of royalties .
Soon, he visited the office of the Kanglatongbi Forest Beat and grilled the officers and the staff on the unauthorised free passages.
The Minister further revealed that he had been receiving complaints for the last couple of days regarding royalty-less trucks and he was informed these trucks had been let off because it was practically impossible to collect royalties from just too many vehicles .
Today’s surprise visits were also a part of a routine campaign, the Minister said, coinciding with the ruling BJP Government’s fifth month into power.
He added the authority will give befitting punishment including suspension of any negligent official .
Minister Shyamkumar rebuked that such officials are not only responsible for shrinking revenue collection but also that they are helping in creating ecological imbalance .
Meanwhile, he halted one of the trucks carrying stones�that was travelling from Awang Sekmai to Khurkhul�which had not paid a royalty at Kanglatongbi.
He instructed the Beat officials to let it go only after collecting the due payment .
Later at Kangchup Chingkhong, the Minister stopped one earth-carrying truck and found it was meant for the construction of a Church.
He let it go but not before advising the truck driver to collect earth only after taking necessary permission .
Minister Shyamkumar also went to Maibam Lotpa Ching in Nambol to check the condition of the plants in a follow-up to the seeds that were sown last month.
He informed that the checking will continue throughout the month to see the condition of the plantation that was carried out in collaboration with several NGOs and youth clubs in the State.
The Minister reiterated that action will be taken up against any erring official.