A report prepared by the Department of Forests (DoF) has stated CFUGs sold 1.774 million cu ft of timber during the last fiscal year, 2.231 cu ft in 2065/66 and 1.980 million cu ft in 2064-65 BS.[break]
In comparison, the report stated that the government forests sold 1.170 million cu ft timber in 2066-67 BS, 1.278 million cu ft in 2065-66 BS and 1.238 million cu ft in 2064-65 BS.
The report said there has been a significant rise in handover of forests to CFUGs since October 15, 2008.
"The process of handing over the forests to the community user groups was expedited after October 2008," Forests Minister Deepak Bohara said referring to the report.
At present, the report said, there are 400 CFUGs in Kailali alone, 300 in Udayapur, 182 in Sinduli, 142 in Panchthar, 192 in Surkhet, 116 in Bardiya and 115 in Dang. "In Doti district itself, there are 46 user groups," Bohara said.
He added, "It is not that the government is taking to illegal cutting and selling of timber, but the user groups are misusing the license."
In one case in Brahmasthan in Sarlahi, the DoF stated that the CFUGs sold 14,000 cu ft of timber last year besides resorting to massive cutting of trees whereas the ceiling given to them is 800 cu ft.
The report has incorporated 27 districts of the country, including 24 districts in the Tarai where the deforestation is said to be massive.
The parliament´s Natural Resources and Means Committee and National Vigilance Center had recently stated that massive deforestation is unabated in the country, especially in the inner Tarai. A high-level government team last week removed the Director General of DoF Madhav Acharya to the reserve pool of the Ministry of General Administration on the charge of alleged corruption and involvement in deforestation activities. Acharya resigned following the decision.
On the basis of the DoF report, the Ministry of Forests and Soil Conservation (MoFSC) is all set to amend the existing Forest Act, the proposal for which will be submitted to the Law Ministry on Sunday.
"The idea is to bring in a scientific system in place to preserve forest areas," Bohara stated. He said that the Ministry has proposed complete halt to cutting of trees for five years. "We have proposed the amendment as much illegal activities are happening due to flaws in the existing law," Bohara said.
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