Encroachment of Assam's forest lands by neighbouring States going on

LAKHIMPUR: State Environment and Forest, Excise and Fisheries Minister Parimal Suklabaidya on Monday evening inaugurated the Bio-diversity Park (Sahitya Monishi Upaban) set up in the Gumnadi area under Kakoi Reserve Forest in Lakhimpur district.

In order to attract the tourists, the bio-diversity park was set up with the investment of a fund amounting to Rs. 25,00,000 by planting 1,000 species of plants. In connection with this programme, the minister also inaugurated a plantation drive by planting a sapling of Siya Nahar (Media ferrea) in the presence of Lakhimpur MLA Utpal Dutta, Bihpuriya MLA Debananda Hazarika and the higher officers of the Forest Department.

Suklabaidya said that the Assam Government had attempted to set up a total of 24 such bio-diversity parks across the State. This bio-diversity park, which was set up in Lakhimpur district under Kakoi Reserve Forest, at least 9 km away from Kadam Centre of NH-15, is the 10th of the 24 bio-diversity parks.

The State Forest Minister admitted that massive corruption had engulfed the Forest Department of the State. "The BJP-led State Government has tried to root out the corruption from the department concerned. In this regard, we have achieved some success and it will be wiped out completely in the near future," he said.

He also said that encroachment upon the forest land of Assam by the neighbouring States in inter-State border areas was going on unabatedly across the State. "The inter-State border is an issue which cannot be resolved by the State alone. We are talking with the Union Government and Geological Survey of India in order to resolve the problem," he added.

Lakhimpur MLA Utpal Dutta called upon the minister to take steps to check the massive encroachment done by Arunachali people in Kakoi, Ranga, Dollung Reserve Forests and by a section of doubtful citizens in Pabha Reserve Forest of the district.

Notably, the activists of Lakhimpur All Assam Students' Union (AASU) burnt the effigy of the Forest Minister as soon as he arrived in Lakhimpur on Monday, alleging his comprehensive failure in controlling the corruption in the Forest Department and checking the encroachment upon the forest lands of the State from across the border.

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