KOZHIKODE: Revenue Principal Secretary A Jayathilak’s controversial order that facilitated the rampant felling of protected trees across the state had pushed Machad (Thrissur) Range Officer Saveen Sunder P to death, a close family member of the deceased told TNIE.The 42-year-old succumbed to stroke on April 20 because of the pressure resulting from the incidents following the execution of the order, confirmed colleagues and relatives.
The order issued on October 20, 2020, permitted cutting of protected trees, except sandalwood, from the assigned land (distributed by the government with title deeds). As per the order, the range officer issued a pass to cut 25 cubic metres of teak from an assigned land under the Elanad forest station on February 4. While the order was revoked on February 2 after it had invited heavy criticism, it was not passed down to the forest personnel quickly enough. The cut teak, along with two lorries, were seized by the Chelakkara police on February 6 at Pulakkod.
The seizure made it appear that the range officer had colluded to cut and smuggle teakwood even after the revoking of the order. “Reports putting the range officer under a cloud caused him immense pressure. The same day, he also received a threatening call from a crime branch DySP. The next day, on February 7, he collapsed suddenly in his office. He was rushed to a hospital and was later admitted to a private hospital in Thrissur. He was in a coma for 72 days and finally succumbed on April 20. That single order took his life. He might not have been able to bear the pressure,” said one of Sunder’s colleagues.
He had no other health issue, said a close relative of the officer. “He was healthy. Blood pressure shot up after the incident and he collapsed. Sunder never discussed official matters at home,” the relative said.The Kannur native has two children, aged 12 and five.
‘He was sceptical of order’
A subordinate officer of Sunder said he was sceptical of the order as it contradicts the Kerala Promotion of Tree Growth in Non-forest Areas Act, 2005.“In fact, many range officers were sceptical. Initially, Sunder didn’t issue any pass. But people made a hue and cry and somebody approached the High Court as well. Then, he issued passes in December, after waiting for one-and-a-half months. He might have issued a maximum of seven passes and the last one was for cutting teak under the Elanad forest station,” said the officer.
Meanwhile, sources said the order revoking the controversial order was issued on February 5, but with a previous date — February 2. “The order of October 20 is a mystery. It states that action will be initiated against the forest officers who do not implement the order (to cut protected trees) which sounded strange,” said a source.
Smelling foul, Wayanad Deputy Collector Shaju N I shot off a letter to the land revenue commissioner on December 15 seeking clarity over the revenue principal secretary’s order. But no reply was received. The district administration then orally instructed all village officers not to implement the order which would result in largescale felling of protected trees. However, the timber lobby influenced the South Muttil village officer and cut 101 rosewood tress worth `12 crore, which exposed the entire operation. Now, it is roughly estimated that trees worth more than `100 crore had been cut across the state using the controversial order.
Forest vigilance seeks no. of trees felled
The vigilance wing of the forest department had asked all range officers to submit the number of trees cut during the more than three-month period when the order existed. “We will have a rough estimation by next Monday about how many cubic metres of trees have been cut,” said V V Shajimon, principal chief conservator of forest (vigilance and forest intelligence).