BENGALURU: The state forest department has suspended seven frontline forest officials for granting sanction to fell jungle wood trees in the Balur Reserve Forests (RF) of Chikkamagaluru Circle. About 150 trees have been felled in the past two to three months. Meanwhile, the forest department has ordered an inquiry into the issue.Local activists cite the hand of timber mafia in the large-scale felling of evergreen jungle wood species in the Western Ghats. They say under the guise of Mafi Pass (permit for felling), permission was ‘granted’ for felling without even a joint survey whether the trees were in revenue or forest land.
According to the department, action was initiated and seven ground level forest staffers were suspended. They were allegedly involved in granting sanction for tree felling in the reserve forest. Although Mafi Pass was sought for felling of trees in a private land, it was carried out in the adjoining Balur RF.
The suspended staffers are Chikkamagaluru Survey Section deputy RFOs Dinesh and Madhu Sudan, Mudigere DRFO Balur Section Shivraja Nayak, forest guard Suresh, Koppa Survey section deputy RFO Arun Kumar, Kalasa Range DRFO Yasin Basha and forest guard Naveen Kumar.