A CORRESPONDENT
BOKO: The West Kamrup forest division has turned into a theatre of destruction, where the timber mafia known locally as Bokasur alias Dhanjit Boro and his team operate with brazen impunity. By day, officials plant saplings in the name of environmental protection, but by night, syndicates smuggle valuable timber and charcoal from hill regions to the Brahmaputra riverbanks and beyond.
The rot within the department was exposed on Wednesday when Assam police intercepted a Tata DI truck laden with illegal charcoal and handed it over to the forest division. Yet, officials failed to act against the smugglers or seize further consignments. Allegations abound that forest staff deliberately ignore trucks carrying teak, sal, and other valuable timber, allowing them to pass unchecked.
According to Global Forest Watch, Assam lost nearly 360,000 hectares of forest cover between 2001 and 2015, the highest in the Northeast. Ironically, while the State Government has set ambitious targets for mass plantation drives, only 0.48 per cent of land has been newly greened so far.
The menace has spilt onto public roads. On Thursday night, a Tata DI truck (AS25CC7369) carrying illegal timber nearly collided with two motorcyclists, who later faced intimidation from smugglers in a White Colour Tata Safari (AS01BJ3693). Around midnight, the same Safari rammed into pedestrians near Chokabaha Primary School along National Highway 17, leaving Nabadeep Rabha and his friend Harimohan Rabha injured. He lodged an FIR against Bokasur alias Dhanjit Boro and demanded strict punishment for those spreading terror.
Locals have also accused forest officials of colluding with traders. In Tarabari–Balijhar, villagers seized a tata DI (same number) filled with timber, but despite repeated calls, the department refused to respond. Eventually, the smugglers retrieved the vehicle after threatening violence. Reports suggest that officials collect between Rs 1 and 5 lakh per truck to release vehicles caught with illegal timber. The divisional forest officer, AFS Subodh Talukdar, who previously served in Singra and Kulshi ranges before his promotion, now faces questions about his leadership.
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