Assam: The forest department of Assam’s Rani conducted a raid near the Pageli Tea Estate, located on the Assam-Meghalaya border on the western outskirts of Guwahati early morning on December 14th.
The operation, led by Rani Regional Forest Officer Roji Barman, resulted in the seizure of an illegal timber-laden truck travelling from Meghalaya without a number plate.
According to sources within the forest department, the truck was intercepted at Pageli Tea Estate carrying valuable timber worth over Rs 2 lakh. The timber is suspected to have been smuggled by an individual known as “Patil,” who is reportedly involved in the illegal timber trade in the nearby Kaharpora region of Rani.
However, the operation has sparked allegations of collusion between some forest department staff and the timber mafia. Local residents of Rani claim that certain forest officials from the Rani Regional Office and Sub-Divisional Forest Offices are providing advance information to smugglers about planned raids, hindering the effectiveness of operations conducted by senior officials.
The forest department is yet to comment on these allegations.
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