RAUTAHAT, April 21: Illegal mining has been found in the forest area of Janaki Nagar in connivance with the Division Forest Office and the contractor.
It has been found that the national forest has been encroached and the soil has been excavated and sold with the connivance of the employees of the sub division forest office at Janaki Nagar in Sarlahi. With the connivance of Binay Kumar Shah, Chief Forest Officer of Sub Division Forest Office, Janki Nagar, it has been revealed that fish ponds were excavated and soil from the land of about two and a half bigha area belonging to the national forest was sold.
A fish pond has been constructed on a two-bigha land by excavating the 13 Kattha 17 Dhur land of Mannath Niraula, of Barhathwa,. Locals have alleged that Chief Forest Officer Shah took commission from Niraula for allowing ponds to be dug on forest land.
Soils under Threat
According to Shah, Chief of Sub Division Forest Office Janki Nagar, as he could not be sure which is national forest land and private land, a fish pond was dug in that place.
After being accused of allowing fish ponds to be dug after cooperation, Shah has said that within a few days he will call Amin and measure the land to separate the national forest and private land.
Niraula claimed that the fish pond was built because the land where the pond was dug was not a national forest but his private land. Niraula's argument is that he dug the pond according to the indulgence as he has been using the land for many years. Apart from 13 Kattha 17 Dhur land near jungle, which is still registered in the name of Niraula, more than one and a half bigha of forest land has been encroached and fish ponds have been dug.
Nanibabu Thapa, Ward Chairman of Ward No. 1 of Haripur Municipality, said that he received the news that the fish pond was built by encroaching the national forest and the soil was excavated and sold elsewhere.
It has been seen that a pond has been constructed in an area of more than two bighas, while digging a pond, the forest office and the ward office should be informed and the recommendation of the ward should also be taken, but the permission of the forest and ward office has not been obtained, claimed the ward chairman Thapa.
