Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, July 18:
Flatly rejecting the report of executing various measures to combat the menace of bamboo flowering in Tamenglong district, the Zeliangrong Youth Front, Tamenglong zone has urged the State Government to conduct a spot enquiry to verify the execution report in the affected areas.
A statement issued by the ZYF, Tamenglong zone remarked that even as Rs 280.55 lakhs have been sanctioned by the Union Government and State Government to tackle the menace of bamboo flowering in Tamenglong district, the project assigned to Forest Department and Veterinary Department to combat the natural calamity has been a total failure.
Negating the tall claims made by the Forest Department, the ZYF asserted that the mixed plantation work in forests affected by the periodical natural phenomenon assigned to Western Forest Division (Tamei, Noney, Tamenglong and Jiribam) under the supervision of the four Range Officers headed DFO Tamenglong was never executed.
The execution report was unfounded and purely fabricated, it alleged adding that the people of the affected areas are still reeling under the menace.
Reacting to the statements of Conservator of Forest Jagadishwor as published in this paper on April 22 this year that 2640 hectares of forest have been covered by mixed plantation programme and the statement of Forest Minister as published in this paper on May 5 this year that 755 hectares of forest in Tamenglong West and 800 hectares in Tamenglong district have been covered by mixed plantation, the ZYF alleged the statements were lies, quite contradictory to what is actually visible on the ground.
Taking strong exception to such unfounded and hollow statements of the allegedly corrupt officials of the Departments assigned to combat the menace of bamboo flowering, it urged upon the State Govt to book the responsible officials who are involved in misappropriation of fund allotted to combat the menace.
Any further delay on the part of the Government in redressing the suffering of people affected by bamboo flowering in such critical period will compel the ZYF to fake recourse to various forms of agitation, it cautioned.