Dharamshala (S Gopal Puri)
In a candid acknowledgment, Rajesh Dharmani, a cabinet minister known for his measured demeanor, admitted in the Himachal Pradesh Assembly that the forest mafia is active in the state. He revealed that large-scale illegal logging is underway, with wood logs being transported out of the state under the guise of fuel wood.
“Yes, forest wood is being exported as fuel wood, but it ends up in plywood factories. Anyone can verify this by visiting markets in Hoshiarpur and Yamunanagar, where most of the wood originates from Himachal,” said Dharmani.
He alleged that some senior officials are profiting from the unchecked movement of wood-laden trucks, further enabling the forest mafia’s operations.
Shifting his focus to the BJP, Dharmani accused the opposition of hypocrisy for leveling corruption allegations against the Congress. He pointed to a ₹200 crore scam during the BJP’s tenure involving the firm WAPCOS.
“WAPCOS was used as a conduit for a backdoor entry to certain individuals. This scam must be thoroughly investigated,” Dharmani demanded, calling for accountability from the opposition.
He also raised concerns about a resident of Bilaspur who, during the BJP regime, allegedly registered three companies to gain undue advantage in various government supplies. Dharmani emphasized that this, too, warrants a detailed investigation.
Concluding his address, the minister urged both the government and opposition to address corruption and mafia activities with transparency and accountability, ensuring the protection of the state’s resources.