OUR CORRESPONDENT
KOKRAJHAR: The Bodoland region's reserve forests and other natural resources have been severely damaged over the years; blame this on politicians and their political meddling. The destruction of beautiful reserve forests is still going on in Chirang reserve forest lying in the overlapping areas of Kokrajhar and Chirang districts. Rampant destruction of forest is seen deep inside the reserve forest by the illegal encroachers in the recently declared Sikhna Jwhwlao National Park spread over foothills of Bhutan in the north from National Highway 31 stretched over Kokrajhar and Chirang district.
Mud-slinging game between the opposition BPF and the ruling UPPL has been taking place over the large-scale illegal encroachments and felling of trees in the reserve forests since the past four years. Traditionally, the blame game on forest destruction and illegal encroachments is seen ahead of every election. And factually, the illegal encroachments are seen active when election is approaching. The same thing is happening now as a large number of people from different places are active in various parts of the reserve forest under Sikhna Jwhwlao National Park since the past few weeks. In early 80s some of the political agents let the illegal encroachers enter the reserve forest to clear the forest and settle down, especially under Haltugaon Forest Division in Kokrajhar. There have been many heavyweights who opposed the eviction drives carried out by the forest department in the same division and even a union minister along with a top AGP leader came to Joypur in mid-2000 and openly opposed the eviction drive. In 2011, a senior Congress leader who was given charge to look after the BTC region entered deep inside Lumsung reserve forest and encouraged the illegal encroachers not to leave from the forest land occupied by them. He took some media persons from Kokrajhar. The same practice is also seen in the southern part of Guma reserve forest. The Charaikhola Wildlife Sanctuary near Kokrajhar is also encroached by both illegal immigrants and tea planters.
Talking to some sections of media persons over the unabated illegal entry inside the reserve forests with intention to settle in the forest, the CEM of BTC Pramod Boro said the illegal encroachments in reserve forests of BTC was inspired by the leaders of opposition since the past four years and there has been traditional phenomenon of encroachments in forest ahead of every election to garner support from the illegal encroachers so that the ruling cannot initiate eviction drive and do nothing or face trouble and loss supporters in forest village areas. He said playing narrow politics inspiring the illegal encroachers in reserve forest had proved the extreme option of the opposition to survive and come back to power which is not at all a civilized decision of the political parties. He also said in last year too, there had been hue and cry in the reserve forest in Chirang inspired by the youth and student wing of the BPF to defeat and topple down the UPPL but they failed. He called upon the people to identify who had been instigating and inspiring people to enter into the reserve forest and clear jungles to settle down.
Boro said many BPF leaders have illegal occupation of forest lands in various places and some political heavy weights have illegal lands in Saralpara and Ultapani reserve forest near Indo-Bhutan border which is now under newly declared Sikhnajhar National Park and they have fear in mind that their lands would be retaken by the forest department for which they frequently instigate the right and left wings of the party to create troublesome situation. He also said there would not be any compromise on illegal encroachments and needful action would be taken in the next course of action.
Meanwhile, the EM in-charge of Forest, Ranjit Basumatary said influential political leaders had illegal lands in the name of their wives, relatives in the reserve forest inside Sikhnajhar National Park. Many of them have plantations of betelnut in Saralpara, Ultapani area of the National Park, tea and rubber garden in Choraikhola Wildlife Sanctuary and other parts of reserve forests in BTC, he said adding that these political leaders have been instigating and using the illiterate villagers to enter the reserve forest and occupy forest lands as a measure of shielding their illegally occupied lands.
Basumatary said over 80 pc encroachers in forest had lands in their respective villages but only a few people are landless. He said the BTC Forest department had already carried out a survey of encroached reserve forests and identified the politicians having plots of illegal lands in reserve forest who would not be spared. He also said the department had prepared a policy to allot land to real landless people in alternative places outside the national park or wildlife sanctuary but there would be no excuse for the encroachers who have their own land. He further said illiterate villagers who are being used as sticks by the politicians, their children are deprived of education, basic amenities in the reserve forest while the children of politicians are studying in good educational institutions in metro cities.
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