SHILLONG: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly met on Tuesday to discuss the functioning of veneer mills legally sanctioned by the state and illegal sawmills in the wake of growing concerns over adverse impact on environment.
PAC chairman Charles Pyngrope was critical of the functioning of the Forest Department saying there were irregularities in dealing with timber and minor minerals.
“It has been observed that because of the laxity of the department, the government has lost revenue close to about a hundred crores,” he said.
On illegal sawmills, PAC member George Lyngdoh said the Supreme Court order of 1997-’98 was not adhered to.
“The (forest) department has not moved a step to ensure proper rehabilitation in order to have a healthy environment for the operation of sawmills in the state,” he said. He informed that the department is working on a system to bring out a comprehensive plan to ensure that illegal sawmills can be brought under the purview of the Supreme Court ruling as well as to bring out a healthy environment for them.
The PAC has asked the department to review immediately and come back to the committee with their reports.
Meanwhile, PAC member HM Shangpliang said no follow-up has been taken on illegal sawmills though they were detected.
“Many divisional forest officers have been found not following up with the cases which have been detected,” he said, adding that illegal saw mills would start functioning after six months after they were closed down.
He viewed the matter seriously and said it amounts to suspicion of a nexus between forest officials and illegal doers.
Veneer mills
Speaking on veneer mills stationed in the industrial estate, Lyngdoh said there are about 33 veneer mills which, as per the records of the department, are consuming huge amounts of timber every year.
“This is a cause for concern because of environmental degradation that is happening across the state. The committee has asked the department to review the licensed veneer mills and if need be to clamp down on the production capacity and the amount of timber required by the mills to protect the environment in the state,” he said.
Pyngrope asserted that Meghalaya cannot afford to venture into veneer mills considering its harmful impact on the environment.
“The veneer that is extracted from timber is not a value added product because the end product is plywood. To say that veneer is a value added product is misleading. To say that we need veneer mills or plywood factory in the state is unjustified. They should be closed down,” he said.
On the illegal mining of sand, limestone and boulders, Lyngdoh referred to that CAG report that showed huge loss of revenue. He criticised the laxity of the department in monitoring illegal mining. Pynrope said, “The Department of Forest needs to strengthen the laws so that illegal felling of trees and export of timber by saying that they are value added has to be checked.”
