DIMAPUR: The Nagaland Timber Traders Union has termed the clarification issued by then DFO Dimapur, Kocha Meyase on the former’s press statement as a “feeble attempt to cover up the corruption and malpractices of the Forest Minister and the DFO concerned.”
NTTU, in a press note, issued by its President and Treasurer stated that the DFO’s statement “is trying to confuse the public” by “going into detail technicalities involved in allotment of tree felling wagons” and “instead of addressing the core issue as pointed out by NTTU.”
The DFO had clarified that the Forest department “allotted some wagons to some of the members of the NTTU, however the allottees failed to meet the required criteria thereby resulting in lapse of such allotted wagons and causing a loss to government revenue.”
In response to this, the NTTU informed that thirty five wagons are allotted every three months under tree felling scheme to tree farmers and registered transporters and for each wagon and that the Forest department gets revenue of Rs. 1.21 lakhs. However, it questioned about the “extra Rs. 3 lakh per and Rs. 10,000 per wagon, which the Forest minister and Kocha got respectively for selling the wagons.” “Quarterly, the commission of the Forest minister alone comes to a whopping Rs. 1.05 crores (Rs. 1 crore 5 lakhs),” it added.
Acknowledging that the Forest department had allotted two wagons to NTTU members, it however clarified that the union rejected the offer “because the Forest minister demanded Rs. 3 lakh per wagon from NTTU members too.”
A 3-member NTTU delegation met the Forest minister in September 2013 at his official residence where the Forest minister verbally said to us that he will not make a concession of even Rs. 1 from his Rs. 3 lakh commission per wagon, alleged the NTTU. “This we are ready to testify in any Naga customary court,” it added.
It further questioned the basis on which “the NTTU is causing loss to government revenue by rejecting to buy the wagons.” “Is the Rs. 3 lakh and Rs. 10,000 respectively per wagon going to the government coffer?” It queried.
NTTU further cited the Forest Minister’s statement on July 23, 2013, where he stated “I am entrusting NTTU to oversee the loading of train wagons of teak, moulded beat and W/S for its smooth functioning.”
The union added that the NTTU is prepared to “approach any Naga customary court to swear by what we say.” “If the Forest minister and Kocha deny that they are not selling the wagons and taking money, we request them to also get ready to swear the same the Naga traditional way,” it said.
