Andhra Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan orders crackdown on red sanders smuggling

VIJAYAWADA: Deputy Chief Minister (Panchayat Raj and Rural Development, Rural Water Supply, Environment, Forest, Science and Technology) Pawan Kalyan directed officials to curb red sanders smuggling in the State with an iron hand with emphasis on nabbing the kingpins of racket.

Underscoring the need to strengthen vigilance to check the smuggling of the precious wood, the Deputy Chief Minister instructed the officials to submit the details of number of cases registered pertaining to red sanders smuggling, the conviction rate of arrested smugglers and others.

Holding a review meeting with the officials of the Forest Department on Friday, Pawan Kalyan took the details of red sanders dump found in Jagananna Colony at Potladurthi in Kadapa district recently. Informing that 158 red sanders logs worth `1.6 crore were seized, the officials said four persons were arrested in connection with the dump, and identified the role of another four in the racket.

The officials should not spare woodcutters and transporters involved in smuggling of red sanders. The forest and police departments should work in coordination to curb the smuggling of red sanders effectively, the Deputy Chief Minister said.