Illegal timber syndicate flourishing in West Kamrup: Forest officials under scanner

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaAugust 24, 2025

A massive illegal timber racket is alleged to be operating openly in the West Kamrup Forest Division, raising serious questions about the role of officials tasked with protecting the region’s forest wealth. Far from curbing deforestation, some forest personnel have allegedly been running a parallel syndicate that profits from large-scale tree felling, charcoal production, and illicit trade.

The West Kamrup Forest Division, flanked by forested hills and the Brahmaputra, covers stretches of reserve forest along the Assam–Meghalaya border, including the Boko and Bandapara ranges. The region is known for valuable species such as teak and hollong.  But according to local sources, instead of conserving this biodiversity, unscrupulous timber traders, aided by officials, have been felling trees indiscriminately.

The modus operandi reportedly involves cutting timber in bulk, burying the logs to later convert them into charcoal, and transporting both timber and charcoal in trucks to different parts of Assam, including minority-dominated districts. The scale of the trade suggests an organised operation.

At the centre of the controversy is the Nagarbera Riverine Forest Office, alleged by insiders to be the hub of this illegal network. Sources claim the officer-in-charge collects around Rs 10,000 per timber-laden truck and between Rs 5,000 and Rs 7,000 per charcoal-laden truck passing through the division. Timber shop owners, too, are said to pay monthly “fees” ranging from Rs 20,000 to Rs 50,000 for protection and free movement of goods.

Allegations extend beyond transportation fees. Insiders in the forest department allege that licence renewals cost shopkeepers between Rs 50,000 and Rs 1,00,000, while challan books—documents critical for legal timber trade—are unofficially sold at Rs 20,000 to Rs 40,000 each. Such practices, if proven, undermine the very purpose of regulation.

Officer-in-charge Nurul Hasan Saikia has confirmed that his jurisdiction currently oversees 80 licensed timber shops and 11 timber-related enterprises. But questions remain about how oversight is possible when allegations suggest his own office is part of the network.

On Friday, the racket was exposed in the open when officials visited Bhowriabhitha village. They found valuable teak trees being cut at the M/S Shakil Anowar Timber Shop, with large amounts of wood dumped in an open field. Workers reportedly abandoned the site and fled as the team arrived. Villagers allege that despite immediate information being passed to West Kamrup Forest Division Officer Subodh Talukdar, no swift action was taken. By the time an enforcement team reached the spot, the timber had already been removed, and no recovery was made.

When contacted, Saikia stated that his office often struggles to enforce the law due to the long distance between Nagarbera and interior villages. But conservationists argue that such explanations ring hollow when allegations point to lakhs of rupees being collected regularly by the same office. “If the very custodians of the forest are accused of running the network, who will protect these forests?” a local environmental activist asked.

The allegations have triggered fresh concerns over rampant corruption within the forest department and its devastating impact on Assam’s natural resources. Experts warn that unchecked deforestation will have severe ecological consequences, including loss of biodiversity, soil erosion, and a decline in river catchment health, directly affecting rural livelihoods.

As pressure mounts for accountability, civil society groups are demanding an independent inquiry into the functioning of the West Kamrup Forest Division, especially the Nagarbera office. Unless decisive action is taken, they warn, Assam risks losing vast stretches of its already threatened forest cover to vested interests operating under official patronage.