*Demanding thorough Enquiry, Activists demand disqualification of Speaker Tawadkar
Goemkarponn Desk
CANACONA: Opposition parties have demanded disqualification of thr Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar, who is also Canacona MLA, accusing his involvement in the illegal tree cutting jn the constituency.
The large Logs consists of different Trees such as Teak, Matti, Nane besides a few other Jungle– Trees, most of which are already processed and the still others are under processing stages.
According to the Carpentry Common Facility-Cum-Production Centre, Idhar-Loliem incharge the logs were brought to the unit some days ago, and forest officials gave him instructions to process the same.
When he asked for ‘Passes’(licences/permits) he was reportedly informed that the trees ==-logs are brought on the instructions of Speaker/Canacona MLA Ramesh Tawadkar for the use of building houses to the poor under ‘Shram-Dham scheme’, and this is in full knowledge of top forest authorities and Officers.
On receipt of information, GFP Environment Cell Chairman Vikas Bhagat and Congress Leader Janardhan Bhandari visited the carpentry unit on Thursday, demanded an inquiry into the theft of the forest wood, and disqualification of Speaker Tawadkar for making use of the illegally brought tree-logs for his personal use.
“Tawadkar is a party to the crime of illegal forest wood and is directly involved in the theft and illegal process of the woods, illegally processed at the government owned Carpentry Unit. We demand the Chief Minister Dr. Pramod Sawant and Forest Minister Vishwajeet Rane, a thorough enquiry into the theft and illegal processing of forest resources by Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar’ ‘
An inquiry should be conducted into this whole episode as to how such loads of wooden logs were brought by chopping trees illegally, from where and who cut the same, how such a hugequantity of wood came , we demand a thorough enquiry with Chief Minister, Forest Minister, , bring it in the eyes of public’, , Bhagat demanded.
When it was pointed out that as informed by Carpentry unit incharge the Wood is for the house built under Shram-Dham’, Bhandari shot back sating, ‘‘Tawadkar, has collected money and hundreds of kind people have also donated money in lakhs of rupees to building house for the poor and needy under the so-called ‘Shram-Dham’, House-Construction materials is also sponsored and rest other is being purchased from this money; whereas we are told that Tawadkar is himself constructing a 42-pillars Bungalow and this wood is for the use of his Bungalow’, .
Bhagat also demanded the forest department file a case against Tawadkar for misusing his authority.
Carpentry Common Facility-Cum-Production Centre, Idhar-Loliem, allows only legal wood (with licence and permits) before processing in this government owned Cartenty Unit,otherwise not accepted.
Pointing fingers at the Canacona MLA, Carpentry Common Facility-Cum-Production Centre, Idhar-Loliem Incharge Jairam Chari told media, ‘This is for Tawadkar Sir, It’s been brought long back and I am instructed again to process this wood.
When it was brought I had specifically asked for the ‘pass’ (licence) of this wood which we normally wants, but I was told there is no pass or anything, and this is sent by Tawadkar, and is brought in full knowledge of top forest forest officers/adhikaris, and this is to be used to build houses for the poor people’, later Chari identied Tawadkar as Ramesh Tawadkar, Canacoa MLA and the Speaker, and asserted that the only the legal wood is processed at the carpentry unit. “but, since he(Tawadkar) is of high minister level, I obliged fearing some action against me for disobeying the dictate’,
Incidentally, Chari however, denied that he has instructions to process illegally brought wood by MLA’s /Minister’s and refuse if brought by common people, when asked why he agreed to process the wood sent by MLA, who is a Speaker. When further asked if he’l accept if any log pieces brought by anyone without ‘Pass’, Chari said, he will have to check if it has come from the top people , than only he’ll do it’.
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