February 11, 2006	Saturday	Muharram 12, 1427

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GUJRAT, Feb 10: After stealing a huge quantity of Shisham and other trees of the forest department, the timber mafia has now illegally chopped off Shisham trees worth over Rs1.5 million near Kalra level crossing.

Sources claimed that a contractor with the connivance of DFO Muhammad Nawaz Sandhila had cut Shisham and other trees near Kathala a few days ago. Taking a serious note of complaints, the forest department high-ups had ordered a probe and deputed provincial conservator Ajmal Syed as inquiry officer.

In the meanwhile, the timber mafia with the abetment of the block officer and the DFO chopped off Shisham trees worth Rs1.5 million near Kalra level crossing. The trees were the property of the railway department.

They said the area people had informed the railway police who reached the spot at the time when the mafia was busy in cutting the trees and loading them on donkey carts. But the police left the place without taking any action against them after the block officer ‘satisfied’ the law enforcers.

The people informed this correspondent that the police had not listened to their complaints and insisted that labourers were performing their duty. The people said that they recognized the block officer, labourers and donkey cart owners.

DFO Muhammad Nawaz Sandhila denied that he had any link with the timber mafia. He said that he was unaware of any such incident.

Meanwhile, the provincial chief conservator had given a strict warning to DFO Nawaz Sandhila for his failure to perform the custodian duty of government assets like Shisham and other trees.

He had ordered a probe into the Kathala shisham theft incident and deputed conservator Ajmal Syed as inquiry officer. Mr Syed along with EDO (agriculture) Shahid Rasheed Awan had visited the site and confiscated several uprooted trees. The inquiry officer had already submitted his findings to the chief conservator.

Sources quoted the inquiry officer as saying in his findings that the department had given the contract of only 14 trees, but the contractor and his men illegally chopped off Shisham and other trees near Kathala.

The report also revealed that the DFO, the block officer and the guard had showed negligence in the performance of their official duties.

It further gave out that the DFO had imposed a fine of Rs240,000 on the contractor. However, sources said the IO favoured the DFO and concealed facts. They said the DFO had tampered with the official record book, but the IO did not mention this malpractice in his findings.

They said the official record book of the DFO did not match with the books of the conservator and the chief conservator.

Talking to Dawn by telephone, the chief conservator said he had suspended from service the block officer and the guard.

He said that he had given a strict warning to DFO Sandhila for failing to perform the custodian duties of government assets.

The chief conservator said that he would also scrutinize the official record books.

DFO Sandhila refused to give any comments over the probe findings when contacted by telephone.