UDHAGAMANDALAM: The forest department has placed four officials, two of them range officers, in the Nilgiris under suspension for failing to monitor the Naduvattam forest range where trees were felled illegally on patta land.
Saravanakumar, assistant conservator of forests, said private land owners were allowed to fell 500 silver oak trees on the patta land near Gudalur last October when they approached the authority seeking permission to fell 1,800 oak trees.
Pointing out that trees were felled for the past nine months, he said the land owners had cut down 200 native species illegally.
After receiving complaints from the local residents, a team of forest officials inspected the land.
Subsequently, I Anwardeen, additional principal conservator of forests, placed forest range officers Siva and Kumar, who were on additional duty in the Naduvattam forest range when the trees were felled, forester Dharuma Sakthi and forest guard Narsees Kuttan under suspension.
The official said a departmental inquiry against the four was underway.
“We have also registered a case against the land owners and timber contractors.”