JAMMU: The Forest Department has contested the news report published in a section of press regarding the involvement of forest officials in illegal timber transportation from Kalidhar in reference to some seizure made by the Department.The published ‘news’ is wrong, unverified, misleading and the contents are denied being devoid of facts, a departmental handout stated.”It is to inform that a detailed verification report was furnished by the Range Officer, Kalidhar that no damage has been found in forest areas and due cognizance has been taken of any attempt of illegal transportation as well” the department added.The handout further stated that the felling permission of khair trees in the selected villages as per the ten year khair felling Plan were accorded to the farmers/owner of khair trees in the their proprietary land on the basis of marking of trees and verification done by the Revenue Department and accordingly the transportation permission was accorded to the verified felled stuff.Moreover, acting on the specific inputs Forest Department personnel have routinely seized the Khair wood being illegally transported from the non-Forest land and also initiated confiscation proceedings under Indian Forest Act. Also, the illegal felling on private land as and when noticed was brought into the knowledge of the Revenue Department.Hence, the published news is false and misleading. The stories being constantly published without verifying the details are tarnishing the image of Forest department and personnel which required clarification.It is also expected that before any item is made a ,News’ and that too involving a Government servant/department, necessary inputs on facts would be verified from the person concerned and/or department concerned.
