SANGUEM: Sanguem Deputy Collector Ajay Gawade on Tuesday carried out a joint inspection following complaints from the locals alleging damage to the plantations at Verlem Sangini by forest officials.
Gawade after the inspection met the villagers and assured to complete the probe by May 28 and furnish the copy of the report to them. He assure to initiate action into the matter.
The meeting was attended by the officials of the Forest Department, police and the Mamlatdar office.
The joint inspection was a fall out of a written complaint made by the villagers accusing the Forest Department of damaging their betel nut plantations on May 18.
The villagers had accused the forest guards of having cut around 435 betel nut saplings, planted in a private property.
Though the villagers claim that the property under plantation to be in dispute with a mining company over the ownership claim, they said the Forest Department officials have no right over the said property and alleged that the forest guards have been unnecessarily harassing them.
The villagers claimed that if no action is taken against the forest guards for their alleged mischievous act then they would be forced to agitate till the guilty are punished.
