DFO leads battle against timber mafia in Bolangir, huge volume of sal logs seized

By Mahendra Kumar Darjee

Balangir, Aug. 30: A large quantity of sal logs and sized-timber pieces illegally felled by wood mafia in Banda Kalijharan Reserve Forest near Chikal Bahal village under Balangir range has been seized by the district forest officials.

The forest department officials under guidance of Divisional Forest Officer (Nitish Kumar) have launched a manhunt to arrest the timber mafia.

Assistant Conservators of Forest (ACF)  Jitendra Sahu and Ghanshyam Mahant, Range Officer Naveen Chandra Panda and Range staff were took part in the raid and seized the sal logs and sized timber on the orders of the DFO of Bolangir.

It is estimated that the value of seized salgundi and sized timber will be lakhs of rupees.

In order to protect the forests in Bolangir from the timber mafia, the DFO Nitish Kumar has launched a decisive battle against them.

The DFO is also looking into the alleged complicity between some dishonest forest officials at the local levels with the timber mafia.

The exemplary actions by the DFO has become the talk of the town in Bolangir