Udumula Sudhakar Reddy
Promise to arm foresters with weapons for self defence has been kept
in cold storage for years. Even recent promise by Chief Minister to give weapons to
forest official didn’t materialize so far. Forest department and Centre’s sluggish
attitude towards disposal of thousands of metric tonnes of red sanders is resulting in
huge demand spurting the Red Sanders smuggling activity. The disposal would have
curtailed smuggling say experts.
Imposing Preventive Detection act is not deterring the known smugglers as wood is priced
around Rs 25 lakh per tone and it has demand in several countries due to use in
aphrodisiac drugs, making musical instruments, furniture and other uses. The maximum
imprisonment is not more than a year for the accused in Red Sanders offence under forest
act. Foresters say it need to made non bailable with seven years imprisonment.
Now the foresters demand state government to immediately release weapons and sell off
the red sanders. AP Forest Range Officer Association president Mr. Hari Mohan Reddy
said,”Weapons have to be given on priority basis to the staff. Police escort to the
patrolling parties in identified smuggling areas have to be made a must. Forest
department should also set up a Task Force for the curbing the menace,” In September 2013
tribals hacked a forest official in KK Tanda in Nizamabad when he tried to stop
encroachers.
Other major problem in certain beats in the state each beat officer covers 4000 square
kilometers which is humanly impossible. Recently 2000 posts are sanctioned and they are
in the process of recruitment.
Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Mr B S S Reddy defended the government decision
and said ,” we are procuring weapons. Recently a committee headed by Greyhounds Director
General Mr J V Ramudu on December 13 decided on what kind of weapon has to be purchased
and the modalities of procurement. It will be done in three months time. We need to take
more of a police help and organize combing operation. This a very unfortunate incident,”
Director General of Foreign Trade has allowed State to export around 1000 crore worth of
8584 metric tonnes of priced wood Red Sanders which was seized from smugglers. So far ban
existed on export of Red Sanders in log form and there is a huge demand for the wood in
China, Japan and Myanmar. After DGFT clearance centre is waiting for guidelines from
State government.
Police have identified that one Mr anakiraman of Erumbuli village in Tiruvannamalai
district was an expert in mobilising ‘coolies’ to cut the trees transfer. Three other
notorious gangsters are T. Dhanapal, B. Kirubakaran and S. Sundar from Chennai are also
involved in shipping Red Sanders from Chennai port to China, UAE and Malaysia. Mr Reddy
Narayana of Kadapa and Nagari Subramanyam, Gajjela Seenu Reddy of Rompicherla,
international smugglers like, Shafi, Antony Moris, Abdul Kalam and Mustafa Ahmed are the
notorious gangs.
Promise to arm foresters with weapons for self defence has been kept
in cold storage for years. Even recent promise by Chief Minister to give weapons to
forest official didn’t materialize so far. Forest department and Centre’s sluggish
attitude towards disposal of thousands of metric tonnes of red sanders is resulting in
huge demand spurting the Red Sanders smuggling activity. The disposal would have
curtailed smuggling say experts.
Imposing Preventive Detection act is not deterring the known smugglers as wood is priced
around Rs 25 lakh per tone and it has demand in several countries due to use in
aphrodisiac drugs, making musical instruments, furniture and other uses. The maximum
imprisonment is not more than a year for the accused in Red Sanders offence under forest
act. Foresters say it need to made non bailable with seven years imprisonment.
Now the foresters demand state government to immediately release weapons and sell off
the red sanders. AP Forest Range Officer Association president Mr. Hari Mohan Reddy
said,”Weapons have to be given on priority basis to the staff. Police escort to the
patrolling parties in identified smuggling areas have to be made a must. Forest
department should also set up a Task Force for the curbing the menace,” In September 2013
tribals hacked a forest official in KK Tanda in Nizamabad when he tried to stop
encroachers.
Other major problem in certain beats in the state each beat officer covers 4000 square
kilometers which is humanly impossible. Recently 2000 posts are sanctioned and they are
in the process of recruitment.
Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Mr B S S Reddy defended the government decision
and said ,” we are procuring weapons. Recently a committee headed by Greyhounds Director
General Mr J V Ramudu on December 13 decided on what kind of weapon has to be purchased
and the modalities of procurement. It will be done in three months time. We need to take
more of a police help and organize combing operation. This a very unfortunate incident,”
Director General of Foreign Trade has allowed State to export around 1000 crore worth of
8584 metric tonnes of priced wood Red Sanders which was seized from smugglers. So far ban
existed on export of Red Sanders in log form and there is a huge demand for the wood in
China, Japan and Myanmar. After DGFT clearance centre is waiting for guidelines from
State government.
Police have identified that one Mr anakiraman of Erumbuli village in Tiruvannamalai
district was an expert in mobilising ‘coolies’ to cut the trees transfer. Three other
notorious gangsters are T. Dhanapal, B. Kirubakaran and S. Sundar from Chennai are also
involved in shipping Red Sanders from Chennai port to China, UAE and Malaysia. Mr Reddy
Narayana of Kadapa and Nagari Subramanyam, Gajjela Seenu Reddy of Rompicherla,
international smugglers like, Shafi, Antony Moris, Abdul Kalam and Mustafa Ahmed are the
notorious gangs.
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