With the Kerala government is under attack over illegal tree felling, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on May 11 that allegations of illegal cutting of trees will be investigated by a special team comprising officials of the Crime Branch, the Forest Department and the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB). Centuries-old rosewood trees were felled and allegedly smuggled from government-assigned lands in Muttil village in Wayanad district earlier this year.
“We are planning a high-level probe into the matter. A special team comprising members of Crime Branch, Forest department and Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) will launch the investigation," Pinarayi Vijayan told reporters in Thiruvananthapuram. He said strong action would be taken against the culprits involved in the smuggling of timber worth crores of rupees.
Following this, environmentalists have said the enquiry must be done by the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) or the Central Bureau of Investigation under the guidance of the High Court.
Wayanad Prakruthi Samrakshana Samithi, (WPSS), an environmental NGO, alleged that the tree felling took place with the support of revenue and forest officials. "In October 2020, Revenue secretary A Jayathilak issued an order granting permission to cut reserved trees, which is illegal. Though higher forest officials received the order, they kept quiet. Soon after the tree felling began, the Wayanad district public prosecutor informed the District Collector and the South Wayanad District Forest Officer that it is illegal, but they did not take any action to stop it," N Badusha WPSS president said.
There was criticism that the rosewood trees were looted under the shield of an order issued by the state government last year.
The Chief Minister said the order was issued considering the requests by the farmers' organisations. "Farmers from Idukki raised this demand. But some people took advantage of such an order and we will take strong action against them," he said.
The state government took the decision to launch the high-level investigation a day after Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar sought a report from ministry officials on the issue and a BJP-NDA delegation, led by Union Minister V Muraleedharan, visited Muttil village. Muraleedharan questioned the silence of Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi over the issue and said no one knows whether he has abandoned the constituency.
"Rahul Gandhi has not uttered a word over the issue so far though he is the sitting MP from here. Nobody knows whether it is yet to be brought to his notice or he has abandoned this constituency," the Union Minister told reporters at Wayanad. The Congress-led UDF also demanded a high-level investigation.