Suhail Rather

Bandipora, Nov 01 (KNS): Residents of Bandipora are disappointed as the State Forest Corporation (SFC) fails to provide timber to deserving individuals, despite local timber production in the district.

They said the lackadaisical attitude of SFC has troubled the local consumers who are in dire need of timber with the inception of summer season-ideal time for constructions in the valley.

Locals alleged that SFC has wind up its Divisional Manager's office in Bandipora and has literally left the Bandipora district High and Dry.

Earlier DM SFC office was stationed in the Mini Secretariat Bandipora. After the transfer of the previous Officer, his successor refused to attend the Office in Bandipora.

Official Sources said the then Deputy Commissioner directed the officer to attend the office in Bandipora for three days a week and the official work was running smoothly, now DM SFC has failed to establish the office in Bandipora and the rooms that were already allotted to SFC have now been occupied by another department.

Meanwhile, to date, many directions have been given to an officer to resume his official work in the Mini Secretariat and in a recent public darbar at Sumbal administrative secretary of the planning and monitoring department directed the officer to resume his office in Bandipora, but he failed.

Owing to the absence of the office, the locals are suffering. The unavailability of timber forces impoverished people to buy commercial timber at inflated prices. Tufail Ahmad, a local resident, recounts his year-long wait for timber despite SFC sanctioning it. His house construction remains incomplete due to the lack of timber.

Various depots in Bandipora have been without timber for the past ten months, despite timber recovery from local forests. Residents from areas like Laharwalpora, Nusoo, Nadihal, Gamroo, and Ajas express their grievances against the SFC for the delay. Non-availability of timber is forcing poor people to buy commercial timber at high rates, they alleged.

“Thousands of cfts have been sanctioned to people in various areas of other districts but people have waiting for years for timber.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp ChannelWe fail to understand the logic of the officials of the SFC department. They prefer to rot the timber in forests and sale depots than providing it to needy consumers," a resident said.

Locals said that the SFC department is not paying any heed to the sufferings of deserving and poor families here. “We are facing tremendous hardships due to the non-availability of timber,” they said.

The residents said that all the assurances and promises made with the people here proved hoaxes on the ground.

Abdul Rashid, who has been waiting for timber for ten months, highlights the disparity between sanctioned timber and actual distribution, leaving many without for years.

Reports suggest an uneven distribution of timber between Bandipora and Ganderbal, aggravating the crisis. The absence of an SFC office in Bandipora, with the DM's additional charge and office relocation to Ganderbal, exacerbates the situation.

Locals are now forced to travel to Ganderbal to get their applications signed, a process that was previously handled within Bandipora.

Residents complain that the officer responsible has never visited Bandipora and has instead moved the office to Ganderbal independently.

Locals criticize the lack of response from SFC officials despite numerous attempts to address the issue. "While every district smoothly receives timber from their local SFCs, we are unjustly deprived of this facility," said one resident.

Divisional Manager SFC Bandipora Altaf Mehmood said, that we have recently dumped 1500 feet of timber in three locations of Bandipora, he added that the issue of distributing timber among beneficiaries will be solved in a week positively and added that the Range office of SFC is working smoothly in Bandipora.

Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner Bandipora Manzoor Ahmad Qadri said, that he would look into the matter.

Residents of Bandipora urge concerned authorities, including the Member of Legislative Assembly Bandipora, to intervene and resolve the timber shortage promptly. (KNS)