SHILLONG: The Forest department has filed an FIR against two exporters for the alleged forgery and misuse of challans for exporting limestone.
Earlier, there were media reports that the exporters, who had exhausted all forest challans from Dawki, are illegally utilising challans from Lumshnong area in East Jaintia Hills.
A Forest department official said on Wednesday that the department also seized challan books.
The move came after a miner from Lumshnong, identified as Iaid Bamon, gave an undertaking to one exporter from Dawki, Lahmon Tongper, to export limestone by using challans from Lumshnong.
The purpose of the undertaking was that Tongper, who is the secretary of War Jaintia Limestone Association, is allowed by the miner from Lumshnong to obtain transport challans in the name of the exporter after paying the revenue. The modus operandi was to obtain the counter sign of a forester or any one manning the check gate.
However, Tongper made a duplicate seal from Lumshnong and helped another exporter, identified as John Buam, which resulted in as many as 80 trucks using the illegal challans.
After the matter came to light, the department, besides seizing the challans, also filed FIR against the exporters. “We have filed the FIR under forgery and misuse of challans on November 28 and now it is up to the police to take further action,” a Forest official said.
Asked why no FIR was filed against the miner from Lumshnong who facilitated the illegal export of limestone, the Forest department official said, “Let the police investigate into the matter.”
