Govt loses Tk 1 crore revenue a year from forest wood in Sunamganj

News - Govt loses Tk 1 crore revenue a year from forest wood in Sunamganj
 The government is being deprived of revenue worth about Tk1 crore every year due to corrupt practices by some dishonest officials and employees in the Sunamganj forest department.

In connivance with these officials and employees, smugglers have formed a syndicate for trading forest wood in the remote areas.

The syndicate members are making a fast buck from trading wood stolen from the forests.

Under the Sunamganj forest department, there are beat offices at Shaktiarkhola in Bishambpur upazila, Dholaigaon inahirpur, Maheshkhola and Chhatak in Dharmapasha and five separate beats in Doarabazar upazila.

A number of nurseries are being run in the five upazilas including Dirai under the management of the local administration.

These forest centers cannot give tax at the set rate to the government by exporting local wood.

Besides, more than 100 sawmills have been established legally or illegally in 11 uazilas of the district.

Indian wood is being smuggled and marketed through these sawmills.

The dishonest officials and employees are taking lakhs of taka bribe every month from these sawmills.

The forest department authorities have no headache about this.

Source: UNB Connect