The State BJP termed the State Government as a big failure in forest protection in Jharkhand. BJP MLA from Dhanbad, Raj Sinha said here on Wednesday that the Congress, JMM, which won power in the name of Jal Jungle Zameen but have done nothing in protecting forest rights. Sinha said that the JMM/Congress is robbing the mineral wealth of the State.

The government has put a ban on Tendu leaf auction, but at the same time smuggling of tendu leaves is going on in which JMM/Congress workers are illegally involved. Sinha also said that the government is suffering a huge loss of revenue as illegal mining is at its peak. “These illegal acts are being done on the wishes of the JMM/Congress workers,” added Sinha.

He said that due to no sand mining policy and putting a ban on sand auction, common people suffer the most as people have to purchase sand at a higher rate. The BJP MLA also cited cases of illegal stone crashers at Santhal Pargana region.

The BJP MLA said that in the forest department, thousand posts are vacant but the present government has put a ban on all appointments. He also said that due to lackadaisical approach of the forest department there is a slow pace in plantation drive and at the same time illegal opium framing has increased. There has been a drop in revenue generation from forest products.

He said that earlier Raghubar Das government had taken several initiatives on generating revenue from forest produce but the present government has put a brake on all such schemes. The Raghubar Das government had launched a scheme under which plantation drive was carried out on the river banks which the present government has stopped.

 Land encroachment of rivers, ponds and catchment areas has increased.

Sinha also demanded forest land lease for non-tribals. He said that due to the negative and immature attitude of the coalition government, the environment is constantly being affected.