Bandipora, July 16: In a major enforcement action, the Forest Protection Force (FPF) has seized 608.99 cubic feet of illicitly sawn timber and discovered the illegal felling of 18 green Kail (fir) trees in Compartment No. 30/T of the Buduab Block Forest Range in Gurez.
The operation, carried out on July 12 following a specific input, exposed serious lapses in forest protection in the ecologically sensitive border region.
Acting on a report submitted by the FPF Gamma Unit (K-08), the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Bandipora has placed two forest officials under immediate suspension.
Mohammad Rafiq Lone, In-Charge Block Officer, and Musa Khan, Mali, have been held accountable for gross negligence and possible abetment in the illicit felling.
The seized timber, comprising 149 sawn pieces, was formally handed over to the duo, who endorsed the damage report—raising serious concerns about their role in the lapse.
According to the
