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Assam, Meghalaya to conduct joint surveillance

By Rituraj Borthakur - 15 Sep 2010 12:00 AM GMT

GUWAHATI, Oct 4 - Assam and Meghalaya have agreed to conduct joint verification of vehicles carrying forest produce, while a similar arrangement is on cards with two other neighbouring states � Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland.

The move comes amidst reports of unabated smuggling of forest produce, a chunk of which also reportedly goes out of the North East, and even outside the country.

Disclosing about the decisions taken at a high-level meeting of forest officials of Assam and Meghalaya, Assam�s PCCF and Head of Forest Force AM Singh said both the states agreed to conduct joint surveillance, and DFOs of the bordering forest divisions will meet and decide on a place for joint verification of vehicles carrying forest produce � timber and minor minerals.

�The DFOs will exchange intelligence among them and try to curb down illegal transportation,� Singh told The Assam Tribune.

There will be a system of communication between the DFOs through email to inform about the TP Book No. and the officer authorised to issue it.

�Information on transport of timber from Meghalaya will continue as before but a new column will be added where the quantity will be mentioned. The DFOs of Assam will also share with their Meghalaya counterparts the timber received from the neighbouring state in the wood-based industries of Assam at a quarterly level � after every three months,� the official said.

It was also agreed that the Meghalaya Forest department will share information about import of agarwood from Thailand, etc., with the Assam Forest department, so that there is no pilferage of agarwood from Assam, as Assam has the highest agarwood resources in the country.

BK Lyngwa, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Head of Forest Force, Meghalaya, said that inter-state issues can be promptly solved through proper representation of facts and sharing of information for issues like transportation of timber products and also for minor minerals.

Three months back, a system was there to impose levy on timber products and minor minerals at the entry points of Assam. Vehicles were checked at these points and action was taken if any illegality was found. But the system of levy has been discontinued by the Assam government, leading to the problem of verification.

Singh said Assam would hold a similar meeting with officials of both Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland and propose a similar mechanism to check the smuggling of forest produce.