Tk 2cr revenue loss in sale of bamboo in Juri
Forest deptt says poor response from buyers
Sagornal Bamboo Mohal of forest department in Juri was sold at only Tk 1.2 crore this year, about Tk 2 crore less than the price it fetched in 2000.
Sale of the biggest bamboo mohal (cluster) in forest department's Sylhet zone at such a low price has raised questions in different quarters. The government has also been deprived of a huge amount of revenue, they said.
In 1999-2000 financial year, the bamboo mohal with about 77 lakh pieces of bamboo was sold at Tk 3.27 crore, official sources said.
This year (2007-2008) the mohal with 77, 70, 900 bamboos was sold at Tk 1.2 crore, sources said.
Forest department officials and the buyer claimed that the price was lower this because of what they said decrease in number and quality of bamboo and increase in transportation cost.
A forest official seeking anonymity said a section of corrupt officials in league with the buyer sold the bamboos at throwaway price. The buyer said he offered lower price this year because the transportation cost is almost double this year.
Some forest officials claimed that they invited sealed tender eight times to sell the bamboo but there was no bid. The first tender was called on October 11, 2005 and last one was called on August 27 last year. In the last tender, the lone bidder was one Md Quador Ali who quoted a price of Tk one crore 2 lakh 50 thousand.
The forest department gave permission to the buyer to collect bamboos from the cluster from January this year, which will continue till February next year.
Quador Ali told this correspondent that he purchased Sagornal Bamboo Mohal through proper proceedings. He said bamboo market is dull now as the main buyer in the region, Chhatak Paper Mill is closed.
Jalal Uddin, former chairman of East Juri Union Parishad and Quador Ali's business partners also claimed that the number bamboos they found in the cluster was less than that shown in forest department's papers. Both Quador Ali and Jalal Uddin claimed that there were only about 40 lakh bamboos in the mohal.
In the past, they transported bamboos through Juri river, but now Indian BSF is obstructing use of the river to transport bamboo.
It is learnt that, the divisional forest officer (DFO) in Sylhet had sent the Md Quador Ali's quotation to the Chief Conservator of Forest (CCF) with a recommendation to sell the bamboo. The CCF returned it to the DFO and asked him to find out the reason for lower price.
Later, an evaluation committee comprising representatives of forest department, district administration and district agriculture department approved Md Quadar Ali's bid, the sources said.
Contacted, DFO Abul Bashar Miah said, the Sagornal Bamboo Mohal was sold before his joining. He said, official papers showed that the mohal was sold at lower price this year because there was only one buyer.
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