Correspondent
CHOKIHOLA, Jun 01: Illegal trade of timber has been unabated in different parts of Karbi Anglong with most of the timber being supplied to the neighbouring state of Nagaland or Golaghat.
On the night of June 30, a truck without a registration number was apprehended by forest officials at M/S Bora Timber & Sizing Depot in Bogijan Choriana Pathar in Golaghat district of Assam.
The timber is being smuggled from Borlangso forest under North Eastern Silonijan Forest Range under Nilip constituency. Ranger Chingbai Ronghang, Sarthe Tokbi and other officials tried to stop the truck in Silonijan but to no avail. Seeing that the truck had fled, the officials ran after the vehicle and found it at the Bora depot in Golaghat. The smugglers had fled the scene. Ranger Ronghang informed that he will have a discussion with the forest department of Golaghat district about the matter and the timber will be seized by them accordingly. The timber as well as the vehicle is still at Bora Depot at the time of compiling this news.
Meanwhile, some concerned citizens stated that there is an alleged unholy nexus between the timber smugglers and forest department because they often see trucks loaded with timber passing through the road under the nose of the administration.