Manipur minister-led team seize illegal timber worth INR one cr.

[caption id="attachment_170533" align="alignright" width="392"] Forest Minister Shyamkumar with his team at Sorathel village in Kamjong district on March 23.[/caption] Imphal, March 25 (EMN): Manipur Forest and Environment Minister Thounaojam Shyamkumar led team seized a large number of illegal logs worth more than INR one cr. at a remote village in Manipur’s Kamjong district, according to official sources in Imphal. The seizure was made by Minister Shyamkumar accompanied by Phungyar MLA Leishiyo Keishing and other officials at Sorathel village, about 100 km away from Imphal under Phungyar sub-division after inaugurating a cultural festival at Phalang village on March 23. They also seized 17 trucks, including a recovery van from the village. Most of the trucks bearing registration number of Nagaland and Assam were loaded with logs for transportation when the ministerial team visited the place, the sources added. Speaking to media, Forest Minister Shyamkumar said that Prime Minister and Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India will be urged to intervene and stop the incessant felling of trees and timber smuggling in the Indo-Myanmar border. He also expressed the need for collaboration between the state and Centre to check the cross border smuggling of timbers considering the state forest department’s limitations. Stating that his department have received information on the massive felling of trees especially in the border area, he said that the tree logs were reportedly brought illegally from the Indo-Myanmar border, are smuggled into the state. He said the massive tree felling in the Indo-Myanmar border will have adverse affect in the climatic conditions of the state and the country while the whole world is dealing with the issue of global warming. The seized timber logs comprising of Khangra, Teak and Yangou will be auctioned following legal procedure by the department so that royalty is collected for the state government. Inspecting a saw mill at Khambi village under Phungyar sub-division in Kamjong district, the Minister appealed to the timber traders to procure logs after receiving clearance from the Joint Forest Management Committee (JFMC) as JFMC is involved in felling of trees following department’s guidelines.