JAIPUR: The Alwar police has found a complaint claiming the axing of 2.25 lakh trees by people from 10 villages in a private farmland by a farm owner in Ramgarh doubtful.
The complainant, Bhagwati Farm Land, accused the villagers of axing the trees worth Rs 3 crore for 24 hours on January 6. The matter came to light after BJP state president Satish Poonia shot a letter to chief minister Ashok Gehlot urging prompt action against the culprits on January 16.
Subakaran Pareek, vice-president of Bhagwati Farm Land, said that around 100 people from 10 villages looted their trees and threatened not to grow trees in future. “The police were informed soon they started axing trees but they came 24 hours later. They were reluctant to file the police complaint and the case has been filed through the court,” said Pareek.
Alwar SP Tejaswini Gautam said that they are investigating the case and prima facie found that claims made by the complainant are far away from reality.
“The claim of 2.25 lakh trees axed is being investigated, but primary inquiry says that the volume is so huge that it takes a month to axe trees and can’t be done in a day or a few days,” said Gautam.
She shared that investigation has revealed that the farm owners had a tiff with the villagers from the nearby villages over them growing eucalyptus trees.
“The eucalyptus trees require a great amount of water for full-blown height. The villagers have been objecting them of growing these trees which are fast depleting groundwater affecting them as well,” said Gautam, who agreed that villagers did axe some trees has been confirmed and a team in further examining the claims made by them.