His palms greased, forest officer flees

RAUTAHAT, JUL 11 - An assistant forest officer in the District Forest Office has been accused of running away after taking bribe from local wood traders.

Bishnukanta Mishra is said to have collected over Rs 1 million from the traders, saying that he would provide them with logs.

"He (Mishra) took Rs 300,000 from me, promising me logs within three days," said Chunchun Sah, owner of a saw mill at Garuda. He said he gave the money to Mishra in the first week of May, adding that he did not receive his phone calls after that.

Mishra has been implicated in many bribe ry incidents in the past too. He once allegedly fled after taking Rs 5 million from wood smugglers after promising them confiscated red sandalwood that was put on auction during his tenure as the chief of the Rasuwa District Forest Office. A complaint concerning the incident was lodged with the Kathmandu Metropolitan Police Range (KMPR), Hanumandhoka. The KMPR has sent a letter to the Rautahat District Administration Office asking it to present Mishra in the police office.

Earlier, former Minister for Forests and Soil Conservation Mohammad Wakil Musalman had suspended Mishra on charges of being involved in irregularities in timber delaings. Mishra had been working in the Rautahat District Forest Office then. He, however, cancelled his suspension order with the help of political party leaders. Mishra could not be reached for comments despite several attempts.

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