Dharan, January 12
Wood worth approximately Rs 70 million is decaying at the Sub-Division Forest Office in Tinkune, Dharan Sub-Metropolitan City-8, Sunsari district, despite its significant market value.
The logs, stored at the Panchakanya and Bishnupaduka offices for nearly two decades, are deteriorating due to delays in finalizing contracts for their use. According to Mahesh Kumar Saha, Chief of the Panchakanya Sub-Division Forest Office, 15,000 cubic feet of wood remain unsold as repeated bidding attempts have failed.
Much of the wood, confiscated during legal actions, has been piling up for years. Saha noted that the price of the wood is categorized as follows: ‘A-grade’ at Rs 1,200 per cubic foot, ‘B-grade’ at Rs 900, and ‘C-grade’ at Rs 650.
Dik Bahadur Bhujel, Chairman of the Nepal Forest Products Entrepreneurs’ Association, criticized the government’s policies and bureaucratic inefficiencies for the situation. “Despite the availability of quality wood within the country, cumbersome policies and negligence from officials have rendered the wood useless,” he said.
In the fiscal year 2080/81 BS alone, the District Forest Office, Sunsari, collected 64,500 cubic feet of wood. However, forest officer Khudris Minya acknowledged that prolonged legal processes and administrative hurdles have delayed the timely sale of the timber.
Meanwhile, timber entrepreneurs have accused the government of creating an artificial shortage by importing wood from abroad while neglecting to utilize the timber readily available within the country.
