Complaints have been forwarded to Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF) seeking a comprehensive probe into the alleged irregularities in auctioning of acacia trees grown in a waterbody in the district recently as it reportedly caused a huge loss to the government exchequer.
As some of the hosiery units in Rajapalayam and Tirupur use acacia as fuel for generating steam, Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi districts have a good number of private agencies supplying firewood to these industries throughout the year. Apart from cutting the acacia grown on private patta lands, these agencies bag the contracts through open tenders or auction for cutting the acacia grown in government forest lands or inside waterbodies under the social forestry schemes.
When the acacia grown in Chinna Aavudaiperi waterbody near Sivagiri was auctioned recently, the lowest bidder managed to get the tender for cutting the trees after a few other contenders were reportedly blacklisted, the affected bidders allege.
“Blacklisting of genuine bidders to indirectly help the lowest bidder has caused a loss of over Rs. 1 crore to the State government as these trees had been grown by the Department of Social Forestry. To bring out the truth and demand appropriate action against the officials concerned, if these charges are proved, I’ve sent a complaint to the PCCF seeing a comprehensive probe into this irregularity,” said S. Udaiyar, district secretary of Hindu Makkal Katchi.
One of the bidders, V. Ramakrishnan of Tirunelveli, said he had quoted Rs. 75,000 per hectare for cutting the acacia trees grown on 39.10 hectares in Chinna Avudaipperi tank in the tender he had submitted. “However, citing unrealistic measly reasons, my tender was rejected and my firm, Kannan Traders, got subsequently blacklisted. At the same time, the lowest bidder has been awarded the right to cut the acacia. Hence, I’ve also decided to petition the officials seeking an impartial probe into the issue,” said Mr. Ramakrishnan.
Sources in the Department of Social Forestry here confirmed the receipt of petitions in this connection, and said the probe would commence shortly. “If any wrongdoings, as alleged in the petition, are proved, fresh tenders will be floated,” said the sources.
