GUWAHATI: “The “queen of the forest” in Assam has emerged as the godmother of alleged corruption. Within just six months of her taking over the hallowed forest portfolio, Pramila Rani Brahma has belied the faith that people reposed in the BJP-led coalition government and her.
On Sunday night, the police in Guwahati detained two youths - Abdul Hainagari and Raju Barman - for allegedly extorting timber merchants. But soon, the minister secured their release using her influence.
Later, the duo told reporters that they were employed by the minister to take on the timber smugglers. They also produced an official pad of the minister, certified by her that the duo were working for the forest department.
“We were employed by the forest minister Pramila Rani Brahma to keep tabs on illegal forest activities. Ever since the employment, we have been going after timber smugglers etc. But we don’t extort them,” Hainagari told reporters.
Barman said, “We are being paid for our job. The minister is also giving us money regularly for the maintenance of our car”. Brahma admitted that she had engaged the duo to keep an eye on timber, sand
smugglers etc. “Yes, I engaged them to do what the departmental officials haven’t been able to do. They were innocent but implicated over a brawl. As such, I had to intervene to secure their release,” she said.
But allegations galore that she was running “syndicate” within her department and that she regularly received her share from the money extorted from timber smugglers and timber merchants.
The Congress wondered what made the minister engage private individuals to work for the department. “We hope the minister will give a clarification as to why she engaged private individuals to work for the department. Has she lost her faith and confidence in departmental officials?” asked Congress spokesman Apurba Bhattacharya.
“There is no smoke without fire,” he added. Earlier, Brahma had won many hearts by going hard at departmental officials. Rhino-poaching, particularly at Kaziranga National Park, dropped drastically ever
since she assumed charge as forest minister. An animal lover, she would invariably rush to wherever a rhino, elephant or leopard is killed, whatever the time be.
Brahma is from the Bodoland People’s Front, which is a constituent of the coalition government.