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Miscreants destroy plantation site in Lakhimpur�s Pabha RF

By Correspondent - 15 Sep 2010 12:00 AM GMT

NORTH LAKHIMPUR, Sept 4 - Miscreants have vandalized the ongoing plantation drive under the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) Act, 2008 in Lakhimpur�s Pabha Reserve Forest.

Hundreds of people armed with sticks and sharp weapons entered the plantation site on Thursday afternoon and destroyed the infrastructure built for protection of the project. The attackers broke the entrance gate, concrete posts and the one km-long under-construction fencing at the 50 hectare plantation site at the Pabha Reserve Forest under Harmutty Forest Range.

The attackers also allegedly threatened to kill the workers of the plantation project being carried out by Karmajyoti Yuva Nirman Sanstha, Dhemaji. A complaint has been lodged with the Deputy Commissioner of Lakhimpur.

The Pabha Reserve Forest was declared a reserve forest in 1936 and was known for wild buffalo. However, in the last five decades, the reserve forest has almost lost its existence due to massive encroachment. Though the Forest department has been serving eviction notices to encroachers, those have been withheld due to intervention by the judiciary. It has also been alleged that forest personnel take money from the encroachers.

State Forest Minister Pramila Rani Brahma had visited the area in February 2018 and directed the start of a massive afforestation drive. Accordingly, the CAMPA scheme was started.