A day after a TRS worker’s role in tiger poaching in Nirmal district has emerged, Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has issued stern warning against smuggling of forest timber, and asked the Forest Department officials not to spare the smugglers irrespective of their political affiliations.
During a review meeting at his camp office on Monday, Mr. Chandrasekhar Rao has issued directions for invoking PD Act against smugglers, notwithstanding their influence and affiliations. He asked the forest officials to stop supplying illegal timber to influential people. Smuggling of forest timber should be brought down to zero under any circumstances, he said. Sharing his vision, Mr. Chandrasekhar Rao said the State should be divided into four parts and action plan should be prepared for environmental protection, which includes rejuvenation of forests, greenery development and curbing of smuggling.
Noting that the purpose of Haritha Haram would be lost if tree felling is ignored, he said in some parts of the State, smuggling of forest timber has become akin to a profession. Such pockets are to be identified and committed forest officials should be deployed there, he said.
He asked the foresters to take help from armed policemen to implement their action plan to bring down smuggling. Police and Forest officials should conduct a joint meeting to develop the action plan, he said. Management of sawmills also should be regularised and no fresh licences are to be issued.
Action plan
He also asked officials to prepare action plan for planting of 100 crore saplings by next monsoons, and increase the number by the year, as part of Haritha Haram. All forest blocks and parks should be planted massively, in order to handle the ever increasing vehicle pollution effectively. The Chief Minister has also issued directions for constituting as many walking clubs as possible.
Home Minister Mohammed Mahmood Ali, Chief Advisor to Government Rajiv Sharma, Advisor Anurag Sharma, Chief Secretary S.K. Joshi, DGP Mahender Reddy, PCCF PK Jha, senior bureaucrats S. Narsing Rao, Rama Krishna Rao, Rajiv Trivedi, Niranjan Rao, Smita Sabarwal, Rajashekhar Reddy, Bhoopal Reddy, Prinyanka Verghese and other officials participated in the meeting.