Chitwan Forest Office Auctions Seized Vehicles

Chitwan. The Division Forest Office Chitwan has moved ahead with the auction process of vehicles that were seized for illegally transporting timber, firewood, and other forest products in forest areas and have been in unclaimed condition for years. The office has stated that it expects to collect approximately Rs 3.25 million in revenue from the auction.

According to Divisional Forest Officer Bishnu Prasad Acharya, 327 bicycles, 57 motorcycles, and 30 three- and four-wheeled vehicles, especially those seized during and before the Corona pandemic and for which no claims were made, had been piled up at the office premises for years.

According to him, as the long-term management of these vehicles was not possible, the office premises had started looking disorganized and unsightly. Therefore, based on the decision of the District Administration Office's Property Management Committee, the auction process has been initiated in accordance with Section 64, Sub-section (3) of the Forest Act, 2076.

The office has already auctioned 268 unclaimed bicycles in the first phase for scrap value at Rs 252,000 (excluding value-added tax). Acharya informed that the remaining 57 motorcycles and 28 three- and four-wheeled vehicles, including tractors, have been valued by a technical team at approximately Rs 3.25 million for sale at scrap value, and this valuation has been approved.

According to him, the engines and chassis numbers of the vehicles to be auctioned will be cut and sold as scrap. "The office premises had become like a scrap yard due to the vehicles piled up for a long time. We are now in the final stage of management after completing the legal process," he said.

According to the office, the auction process will be completed by the end of July at the latest, and the collected amount will be deposited in the state treasury. Regarding 20 motorcycles involved in forest crime-related cases or investigations, necessary decisions will be made in coordination with the District Administration Office by the end of August.

Acharya stated that all old scrap vehicles in the office premises, except for one or two vehicles in court proceedings, are targeted to be managed by the end of July, expressing confidence that this can be established as an exemplary practice for forest offices across the country.