TIRUPATI: Deputy Chief Minister (Environment and Forest) Pawan Kalyan on Saturday underscored the deep spiritual and ecological significance of red sanders, found only in the sacred Seshachalam forest.
Pawan Kalyan said he had accorded top priority to curbing the smuggling of red sanders after taking charge of the forest portfolio.
“According to local folklore, the rare species is said to have originated from a divine wound of Lord Venkateswara — a belief that has elevated its reverence among devotees. This sacred tree is part of our divine heritage, and we should protect it at any cost,” he asserted.
The Deputy Chief Minister revealed that during 2019-24, large scale smuggling operations led to the felling of nearly two lakh red sanders trees in the forest. Currently, around 2.65 lakh seized logs worth Rs 2,000 crore to Rs 5,000 crore are stocked in government godowns. The total value of red sanders smuggled during the previous five years could be around Rs 8,000–Rs 10,000 crore, he said.
“Some of the red wood smuggled from Andhra Pradesh was seized in Karnataka, and that government earned Rs 140 crore by auctioning it. The previous regime should own responsibility for the huge loss to the exchequer,” Pawan Kalyan remarked. He announced that the NDA government would soon launch a major anti-smuggling initiative, modelled after ‘Operation Kagar’, to completely eradicate red sanders smuggling in the State. “We will create a situation where no one dares to cut even a single red sanders tree. Strict action will be taken against those transporting or storing the precious wood, even through ports in other States,” he warned.
The Deputy CM disclosed that four major kingpins behind the smuggling network have been identified, and will be arrested soon. “This is my final warning — anyone involved in red sanders smuggling will face severe consequences,” he said.
Earlier, during his inspection of the Central Red Sandalwood Godown at Mangalam, Tirupati, Pawan Kalyan reviewed the inventory, and documentation of all eight godowns under the department’s jurisdiction.
He examined the lot details of A, B, C, and non-grade logs, and checked the records maintained at each facility. He instructed forest officials to adopt individual barcoding and live tracking system for every seized log to ensure full transparency and accountability. Not a single log should go untracked. “Implement technology-driven monitoring to prevent corruption and maintain integrity throughout the process,” he directed.
Pawan Kalyan also chaired a review meeting with DFOs and Superintendents of Police from Chittoor, Tirupati, Kadapa, Annamayya, and Nellore districts, emphasising inter-state coordination. He revealed that Andhra origin red sanders was even traced as far as Nepal. New agreements are being evolved to ensure seized red sanders in other States is returned to Andhra Pradesh, he said.
“Red sanders is not just valuable wood—it is part of our spiritual identity. Protecting it is protecting the very soul of Tirumala,” the Deputy Chief Minister said.