KCR warns of stern action against timber smugglers

Hyderabad: Taking serious view of the increasing exploitation of forests, Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao on Saturday sternly warned that the government will act very firmly to protect the forests and will also not hesitate in invoking PD (Preventive Detention) Act on timber smugglers. The Chief Minister instructed the Forest officials to open check posts in large numbers in forest areas to ensure that not even a small piece of timber would be smuggled out of the forests.

He directed the officials to form joint flying squads comprising armed police and police officials, besides the intelligence wing officials to identify smugglers These squads would keep an eye on all routes to and from the forest areas. KCR said the intelligence wing would identify those who fell the forests illegally and smuggle the timber. Once smugglers are identified, action would be initiated against them.

His government aimed at bringing down timber smuggling to zero level and preserve the forests in the erstwhile Adilabad, Khammam, Karimnagar and Warangal districts. Smuggling is largely taking place in these districts only. The Chief Minister directed the District Collectors, Superintendents of Police and Forest officials to chalk out an action plan to protect the forests. At the field level the Police Inspector and the Forest Range Officers should shoulder the responsibilities of protecting the forests.

Holding a high-level review meeting on forest conservation with officials at Pragati Bhavan here, the Chief Minister instructed the officials to review the existing Forest Act and bring a new Act, if necessary, to protect the forests and punish the forest encroachers and smugglers stringently.
With the slogan “Protect the forest, increase the forest” (Jungle Bachaavo, Jungle Badaavo), the forest mission should proceed.

There is no use in conducting programmes like Haritha Haram to grow trees when the forests were being destroyed by smugglers. Unless forests are protected, Haritha Haaram will not yield results, “ he said. The chief minister also stressed the need to protect the forest blocks in the cities like Hyderabad, Warangal and others and convert them in to parks and provide walking tracks. Chief Secretary S K Joshi, DGP M Mahendar Reddy and other officials were present.