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| Fearing PSA, smugglers protest at Lal Chowk | | |  Early Times Report
Budgam, Dec 12: Fearing to be booked under Public Safety Act (PSA), as many as one dozen timber smugglers along with a numberdar and his son came all the way from Budgam to hold a protest at Lal Chowk, Srinagar against Forest officers and police.
The timber smugglers from Branwar village in Chadoora area appeared at Press Enclave on Saturday afternoon. They carried mashaals (torches) and were protesting against DFO, SSP Budgam and SHO Chadoora.
These timber smugglers were caught red handed by Forest officials in Branwar area some days ago. On seeing the officials, they had left their horses and timber near the village and fled from the spot.
The Forest team that seized the illicit timber was specially constituted by DFO Waseem who heads Pir Panchal Forest Division in Budgam. Police and Forest officials are planning to book all the smugglers under PSA soon, and in order to build pressure on the government these smugglers held protests against the DFO Budgam. Smugglers were also raising slogans against SSP Budgam Abdul Waheed Shah.
Pertinently, during the intervening night of December 8/9, as many as five timber smugglers along with smuggled timber loaded on six horses were spotted by some villagers of Branwar in Doodh Ganga forest range of Budgam.
Some whistle-blowers of Branwar village had laid a trap deep inside the forests of Branwar near Yusmarg. During this trap the villagers caught five smugglers along with timber which was cut down inside the forests of Doodh Ganga range in Chazkan Naad area.
"We alerted the DFO of Budgam who sent a team of Forest officials during the dead of night. The timber was seized by these officials, but the main accused are yet to be arrested," said Fayaz Ahmad (name changed) one of the whistle-blowers.
The issue was highlighted on Facebook, and Education Minister Naeem Akhtar himself commented on the post and said he has spoken to Forest Minister. But four days have passed and the accused are yet to be arrested. The Forest officer against whom action was initiated as per sources is now seeking undue help from Ghulam Nabi Lone Hanjoora through some PDP senior workers of the area. Hanjoora is the local MLA of Charar-e-Sharief and Agriculture Minister as well.
It is alleged that village Forest Protection Committee of Branwar forest block lead by numberdar Saifudin Chowdhry is hand in glove with the timber smugglers and some corrupt forest officials.
Saifudind's son Yasir Chowdhry had tried his best to get the seized timber back from whistle-bowers when it was seized on December 8. But the locals chased him away in Jabbad village.
Locals resident have demanded that the numberdar should be relieved from such a village forest committee.
On Saturday Yasir along with his father was leading the protests by timber smugglers against Forest officials and Budgam police at Lal Chowk. |
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