Photo Courtesy: nenow
Guwahati: Members of the Assam Jatiyatabadi Yuva Chhatra Parishad torched the effigy of the Digboi Divisional Forest Officer on Friday. The protest took place in Margherita, located in the Tinsukia district of Upper Assam. Hundreds of local residents and organization members gathered to demand an end to illegal timber trade and tree felling.
Protesters accused the forest department of negligence while timber moves toward sawmills in Arunachal Pradesh. The AJYCP claims smugglers use fake transit passes to transport logs openly despite existing laws. One protester stated, "Today, we burnt the effigy of the Digboi DFO to protest against illegal timber transportation, the alleged use of fake transit passes (TPs), and other illegal activities."
The group expanded their complaints to include unauthorized stone quarrying and sand theft from the Burhidihing River. They also demanded the closure of illegal brick kilns and raised alarms about suspected infiltration in the Margherita region. Another protester noted, "Illegal stone extraction, sand theft from the Burhidihing river and the operation of brick kilns in violation of government norms must also be stopped."
The AJYCP issued a three-day ultimatum for the administration to halt these activities. They threatened to escalate their protests if officials fail to intervene. The Digboi Forest Division has not provided a response to these claims.
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