KHANEWAL, Sept 17: The District Agriculture Department has failed to take any action against timber thieves who steal green and dry timber allegedly in connivance with officials from Chichawatni Forestry Range precincts and export it to Chiniot where it is largely used in furniture manufacturing.

The agriculture department is the parent department of the district forestry but has not taken any action despite receiving several complaints from the Chichawatni range during the last over one-and-a-half year. Neither any timber thieve has been captured nor any official of the district forestry has been punished.

The agriculture executive district officer (EDO) shifts the responsibility of taking any action on such complaints on the forestry district officer (DO). The district coordination officer (DCO), however, confirms that an action is being taken against delinquent officials of the agriculture department, including the DO, not specifically on such theft complaints but generally on other complaints as well.

Some documents available with Dawn reveal that the Chichawatni forestry range officials wrote to the Khanewal district nazim, DCO, agriculture EDO and forestry DO on Mar 17, 2006, May 29, 2007, and July 7, 2007, and brought into their notice incidents of timber theft in the subdivision. The letters suggest that timber mafias were involved in such incidents who stole wood in connivance with some officials of the district forestry and later transport it to Chiniot.

When contacted, agriculture EDO Muhammad Saleem Nihang was initially reluctant to share some information with this correspondent. “I don’t know exactly about these letters sent by the Chichawatni range officials,” he said adding, “It was responsibility of the forestry DO to look into such complaints.”

To another question, Mr Nihang said though he was heading the district agriculture department, it would be more advisable if the forestry DO and the DCO were contacted in this connection.

Khanewal DCO Rao Shakil Ahmad said he had already launched an action against the agriculture department officials on various complaints. “I have already withdrawn financial powers of the forestry DO as a punishment”. He said inquiries were also underway against other officials on various complaints.