Chure and Forest Conservation Campaign Demands Implementation of Transfer Order

Janakpurdham. More than two weeks have passed since the transfer of Hemant Prasad Sah, Chief of the Division Forest Office Rautahat, but the decision has not been implemented, prompting the Chure and Forest Conservation Campaign to demand its immediate implementation.

Sunil Kumar Yadav, National Coordinator of the campaign, urged the Ministry of Forest and Environment, Madhesh Province, in Janakpurdham on Wednesday by submitting a memorandum to immediately implement the transfer order. In the attention letter submitted to the ministry, he accused that the non-implementation of the transfer decision in a timely manner sends a message that the ministry's decisions are becoming paper-based and ineffective.

The memorandum states that it is suspicious that the investigation committees formed regarding various irregularities and incidents in the Rautahat forest area have submitted their reports but they have not been made public or implemented. Furthermore, the campaign has expressed serious objection to the inability to bring to legal accountability the culprits involved in incidents such as holding forest employees Shweta Jha, Samunu Shrestha, and seven others hostage for 6 to 7 hours and burning government vehicles during forest encroachment control in the Bardibas-Kalapani area of Mahottari.

The campaign has stated that the ministry's silence on the inhumane incident against its own employees is unacceptable.

Through the memorandum, the campaign has put forward a three-point demand. The demands include implementing the transfer order of Hemant Prasad Sah and having him report to the province immediately, appointing a new Divisional Forest Officer in Rautahat, making public and implementing the investigation report related to the Rautahat forest area, and bringing the culprits of the Bardibas-Kalapani incident in Mahottari to legal action and providing justice to the affected forest employees.

The campaign has also warned of announcing strong protest programs if its demands are not addressed promptly.

A copy of the attention letter has also been sent to the District Administration Office Mahottari, Chief Minister and Council of Ministers Office Janakpurdham, Ministry of Home Affairs Singhdarbar Kathmandu, and the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers Kathmandu.