Srinagar, April 19, KDC: Locals from Sumbal area of North Kashmir’s Bandipora district have accused members of the legal fraternity of illegally transporting cut poplar timber—allegedly belonging to the Irrigation Department—to the Court Complex Sumbal for construction purposes.
Residents while talking to Srinagar based news gathering agency Kashmir Dot Com claim that several tractor-loads of poplar wood, felled and lying in the premises of the Irrigation Department, were moved to the court premises without any official sanction or prior intimation to the concerned authorities.
Eyewitnesses shared photographs and videos showing timber-laden tractors heading toward the Court Complex, intensifying local outrage.
Former Chairman of Municipal Committee Sumbal, Jahangir Dar, strongly condemned the act, questioning the legality of the move. “If the Court needed wood, it should have formally communicated with the Irrigation Department. Who are the advocates to take away timber on their own?” he said.
According to him, timber worth nearly ten lakh rupees has already been taken away, with only one tractor-load remaining at the site.
Dar further alleged collusion between the advocates and officials from the Irrigation Department, accusing the latter of deliberately delaying action against those involved.
“The silence and inaction of the department raise serious questions. It seems they are hand-in-glove with the culprits,” he claimed.
However, Advocate Mushtaq Hurra of the Sumbal Bar Association refuted the allegations. He stated that no timber was taken unlawfully. “We only relocated the felled poplars from one side of the compound to another as the Additional Sessions Judge was scheduled to take charge. The timber’s location, being too close to the Court Complex, presented a poor image,” Hurra explained.
Meanwhile, Executive Engineer of the Irrigation and Flood Control Department, Sumbal, Mutayib Shah, confirmed receiving reports about the timber being moved overnight.
“Yes, I have been informed that multiple tractors of cut poplars have been taken. I’ve also been told that one of the tractors has been seized by police,” he said.
Shah clarified that there has been no official timber allotment from his department’s end and added, “I am in touch with police authorities to verify whether the timber was indeed removed from the Irrigation Department’s premises.”
The issue has sparked a public outcry, with residents urging higher authorities, including the Chief Engineer Irrigation and Flood Control Department Kashmir, Deputy Commissioner Bandipora, and Principal District and Sessions Judge Bandipora, to take immediate action and hold those responsible accountable. (KDC)