Morung Express News
Dimapur | August 15
The timber consignment from Nagaland earlier seized at Guwahati railway station has finally got clearance from the Customs department to be dispatched to respective destinations. A joint inspection carried out by the Customs and Nagaland Forest officials in presence of the Nagaland Timber Traders Union (NNTU) on August 13 at Nangloi in Delhi did not detect any teak or timber of “foreign origin.”
“All formalities have been completed and the logs are now in process of been transported to respective destination,” NTTU said in a press release. On July 8 last, Customs officials seized the consignment consisting of 42 wagons at Guwahati railway station on suspicions that some of the wagons were loaded with “foreign” and illegal timber from Myanmar. NTTU said that Customs officials from Assam, Manipur and Meghalaya were also present during the inspection at Nangloi.
Meanwhile NTTU president Kevise Sogotsu and general secretary Alem Pongener who accompanied the Nagaland Forest officials to Delhi, expressed regret that the timber traders and Forest officials had to undergo a lot of stress due to “misinformation” that some wagons contained “foreign” timber. The union however expressed gratitude to state Forests officials including conservators of Forest (CF) Hocto Sumi and K Kire, assistant CF Hukhato Swu, DFO Dimapur Kuocha Angami, deputy ranger Dimapur Nungshi Ao, for taking pains in resolving the issue.
NTTU also appreciated the two CFs for explaining in detail about the economic aspects of timber trade in Nagaland to Customs officlas and the special investigation team (SIT) of Supreme Court.
The timber union further thanked chief commissioner of Customs, SIT team and timber traders of Nangloi including Sushil Kumar Goel, for their active role and cooperation in settling the case.
Though the Supreme Court banned timber felling in 1966, the state of Nagaland continues to send timber outside from approved working schemes and tree plantation from non-forest through guidelines issued by the Ministry of Environment & Forests and a Supreme Court order issued in 2001.
