Reported by Farhana Ahmed
North Lakhimpur: The recent red-handed arrest of a forest official in Assam’s North Lakhimpur while allegedly accepting cash as a bribe has exposed the functioning of the Lakhimpur Forest Division.
Shivasish Sandilya, the Forest Range Officer of North Lakhimpur, was caught on May 2 while allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 12,000 from a vehicle owner involved in transporting sand and other minerals.
A victim has come forward alleging long-standing corruption in the Lakhimpur Forest Department. Indrajit Morang, alias Michael, a quarry permit holder, has accused the district forest department of rampant corruption and malpractice.
According to Michael, despite having valid permits for sand mining and other minor minerals, he has been forced to pay extortion to forest officials of various ranks in Lakhimpur district for the past twenty-five years.
“I have paid around Rs 5 crore over the last twenty-five years to forest officials in Lakhimpur to continue my business,” Michael said.
Recalling his first encounter with alleged corruption in the forest department, Michael said he was initially booked for storing logs that were floated down the Ranganadi River from the upstream hills.
“The then DFO of Lakhimpur, B.D. Gogoi, seized the wooden logs I collected from the Ranganadi River in late August 1999 and threatened to send me to jail,” Michael recalled. He said he was later advised by the DFO to trade in sand and other minor minerals extracted from river quarries, and he has been in this business since then.
However, he alleged that throughout this period, his business has been subjected to regular extortion by forest department officials.
Elaborating on what he described as a corrupt system, Michael said all levels of forest officials allegedly extract money from quarry permit holders, leaving them with minimal income. He added that only those who regularly pay bribes are able to survive in the business.
“The Lakhimpur Forest officials even restrict villagers from extracting sand within their own premises, while remaining indifferent to rampant tree felling and illegal timber trade in forest areas,” Michael said.
He further claimed that he was extorted heavily by forest officials in 2008 during channel cutting work on the right bank of the Ranganadi River from the railway bridge to NH-15, despite holding valid permits.
He also stated that the government royalty for 1 cubic metre of sand is between Rs 200 and Rs 250, but vehicles are often allowed to pass without challans in exchange for regular payments, allegedly depriving the state of revenue.
“There is also a system where vehicles cleared without challans are later intercepted on the way to buyers and fined heavily,” Michael alleged.
He further added that even small traders storing sand and other minor minerals in their homes are targeted by forest officials.
According to him, the alleged extortion in this non-industrial district, which shares a long forested inter-state boundary, has resulted in the loss of thousands of crores in potential state revenue.
Expressing concern for his safety and that of his family, Michael also spoke about the bleak future of unemployed youth engaged in small-scale sand and mineral supply work due to continued exploitation by syndicates operating within the forest department.
He has appealed to the state government to separate the mining department from the forest department to end what he described as a corrupt system and to improve state revenue.
He also raised concerns over alleged negligence by the forest department in protecting trees and wildlife, citing widespread deforestation in Lakhimpur over the past two decades.
Michael further alleged involvement of forest officials in wildlife-related crimes, claiming that a former Divisional Forest Officer posted in Lakhimpur was involved in elephant trafficking. He also pointed to alleged disproportionate asset accumulation by forest personnel, from DFOs to range officers and forest guards.
When contacted, Manoj Kumar Goswami, the former DFO of Lakhimpur, denied the allegations of elephant trafficking made by Michael, stating that he is not a credible person.
He further clarified that permission for the movement of elephants is granted by the Chief Conservator of Forests, Government of Assam, and that the reported transportation was carried out from Golaghat district.