Nayagarh: Throwing norms to the wind, a furniture unit was found running from Nayagarh forest range office, where wooden items such as cots, dining tables, cupboards, and window frames are reportedly being crafted and transported to Bhubaneswar.
On a media query Tuesday morning, the unit was found locked, raising suspicions. Journalists visiting the premises spotted expensive furniture made of teak, and piles of timber, estimated to be over Rs 4 lakh.
Apart, processed teak and sal planks were also found in two separate rooms. Large timber logs and about five to six carpenters were seen working at the site. After media personnel questioned officials and captured photos and videos, the unit was abruptly sealed. While officials claimed the unit was operating with permission from the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) to supply furniture for the Circuit House, ranger quarters, and the forest office, the secrecy surrounding the unit has drawn criticism. According to rules, a furniture unit cannot be operated from a forest office, but it can be licensed by Forest Department and operate in a non-forest area. Forest offices primarily handle the management and regulation of forest resources, including timber. A furniture unit, especially one that uses wood as its primary material, will need to be licensed by the relevant Forest department and may be subject to specific rules and regulations regarding the sourcing of wood and the operation of the unit. When asked, range officer Ashok Kumar Biswal said the seized timber from unidentified cases was legally processed at a sawmill in Bhapur after royalty clearance, and the furniture was being crafted for official use. However, an environmental activist, on condition of anonymity, said that government rules mandate handing over seized wood to the Odisha Forest Development Corporation (OFDC), not using it directly for furniture production.
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Allegations have also surfaced about illegal felling of trees from protected forests such as Balaram hills and Rukhi reserve on the pretext of unidentified cases. Critics claim more furniture is being made than ‘authorised’ and is being secretly transported to Bhubaneswar. Sources suggest that under government procurement norms, offices should purchase furniture through tenders from licensed dealers and not use raw forest timber. They have questioned whether separate rules apply for the Forest Department. There have been calls for an independent investigation into the activities of the Nayagarh range office to ensure transparency and accountability in the use of forest resources.
