DJ Venkatesh
Diglipur, May 22: Weird set of rules for transport of wooden furniture imposed by the Forest Division of Diglipur has infuriated hundreds of government employees posted in the North Andaman region.
While government officials placed on transfer elsewhere in this archipelago can transport their personal wooden furniture on producing bills at the Forest Check Posts, their counterparts in Diglipur have to go through a drawn out process; hand-written application, double verification and go-ahead which normally takes between 15-45 days.
According to reports, government employees posted in Diglipur region have to first apply to the Divisional Forest Officer of Diglipur to seek permission for transport of wooden furniture. The DFO then forwards the application to the concerned Ranger for inspection of the furniture items. After inspection by the Ranger, the Beat Officer of the division is again asked to authenticate the furniture items after which the DFO issues a transport order to the applicant. Such long-lasting process consumes significant time and government officials are forced to pay out more money for transport of the items.
In a communication to the Principal Chief Conservator of Forest on May 11, 2015, the Member Secretary of a Central Empowered Committee, Mr MK Jiwrajka, said that an Apex Court directive does not prohibit transportation of furniture items, decorative items, handicrafts, doors and window made from sawn timber obtained from legal sources.
In 2005 the Deputy Conservator of Forest, Middle Andaman issued a circular to all Forest Rangers instructing them that government employees under transfer orders can transport furniture items by producing bills/receipts at the Forest Check Posts.
In case on non-availability of the bills/receipts, the government employees will have to seek permission for transportation after verification by the Range Officer, the circular said. On 21st March 2006, the Conservator of Forest, Chatham, in a letter to the DFO Rangat categorically said that no transit pass is required for transport of wooden furniture as they are finished products and not forest produce as per definition provided in the Forest Act.
Such sweeping directives notwithstanding, the Forest Division of Diglipur continues with the archaic rule causing harassment to the government employees.
A government employee is normally granted 10 days of joining time to report to the new place of posting. But for the strange rules of the Diglipur Forest Division, government employees proceeding on transfer from the region have to travel twice expending money; first to join the new place of posting with household items and then to transport the wooden furniture. Because of the drawn-out procedures, it takes more than 15-20 days to obtain transport permission from the Forest Department and several government employees have faced harassment in the recent years. There have been widespread allegations of harassment by Forest officials at Kishorinagar and Chengappa Check Posts.
Truckers are not allowed to transport the furniture items without the permission letter issued by the Diglipur Forest Division. Such rules don’t exist in any other region of these islands except for the Diglipur division.
Today a truck with transfer load of a person was stopped at Kishorinagar check post in the name of verification and out of anger and frustration when the owner asked the forest staffs to seize the truck with furniture load, if law permits, all staffs did not do so and just waited for orders. The waiting continued till 10 am to afternoon.
When Andaman Sheekha called the Ranger Ashitosh Roy and asked the transportation rules then finally after 2.30 PM they gave permission to the truck to cross the check post.
“The Administration should take a strong note of the inconvenience being caused to the government officials posted in Diglipur and the Forest Department should be instructed to follow the directives of the Apex Court and other recommendations issued by the Forest Department from time to time,” said some government employees speaking to Andaman Sheekha on the condition of anonymity.
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