Suvendu Adhikari orders crackdown on illegal logging in West Bengal
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Tuesday asked Forest Department officials to work transparently and step up efforts to stop illegal logging and timber
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Tuesday asked Forest Department officials to work transparently and step up efforts to stop illegal logging and timber smuggling. He also directed officers to begin the process of filling vacant posts and stressed the need for large-scale afforestation to protect the environment. He said the state must improve the functioning of the department, deal with man-animal conflict in the southwestern districts and push tree-planting drives across West Bengal. Adhikari also called on MLAs to plant one lakh saplings each in their constituencies as part of a wider effort to increase green cover.
Read Full Story Inaugurating the Forest Week celebration in Salt Lake, Adhikari said, "We have stopped cattle smuggling, syndicate-raj and other illegal activities; likewise, the forest department should, with the help of the police force, work to stop illegal logging and timber smuggling." He also acknowledged that forest department officials face several impediments in their work and asked the departmental secretary to submit a proposal to improve infrastructure and fill vacant posts. He said recruitment of forest guards will now be carried out by the Police Recruitment Board and that vacancies will be filled within a few months.
On man-animal conflict in the Jangalmahal region, comprising Jhargram, Paschim Medinipur, Purulia and Bankura districts, he said a balance must be maintained between elephant conservation and development work. Conflicts between villagers and elephant herds entering farmlands are common in the region during the harvesting season. Adhikari said, "The previous government neglected the forest department. We need to learn from Odisha and Chhattisgarh on how to prioritise the department." Calling on people to take up tree planting, he said, "Let us build a pollution-free and environment-friendly West Bengal." Referring to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's target of planting 26 crore saplings, Adhikari said, "We are not as large as Uttar Pradesh, but we can plant 10 crore saplings this year." He urged every MLA to take the initiative to plant one lakh saplings in their constituencies and said, "Let us initiate this healthy competition to make West Bengal green again." The chief minister's address centred on tightening action against forest-related crime, strengthening the department and expanding plantation efforts across the state.
The BriefWire