An informer, who had filed a complaint against Shengana’s Mangmi of Punakha, of misusing Rural House Building Timber was not satisfied with the investigation. Touchu says the case was not investigated as per his allegations.
He had alleged the Mangmi had extracted timber from Shenga Bjimi Gewog in Punakha. Touchu said the sawn timber was used for the reconstruction of Nepay Lhakhang.
Touchu had filed a complaint to the Division Forest Office at Lobesa under Wangdue Phodrang territorial division on April 3, 2014. The office has carried out an investigation April 16, 2014.
“The timber was categorised as rural housing timber.” Touchu said the offender bought the timber from Mangmi.
He says this was the third time he had caught Mangmi misusing his power. “So I had to report.”
The Mangmi said he had bought the timber for personal use. However, he did not want to comment on other questions.
Lobesa’s Chief Forestry Officer, Kencho Drukpa said of the several allegations the informer had put up, a few turned out to be true. “Most were based on doubts and assumptions.”
He said the informer had reported the Mangmi had unloaded two truckloads of timber. “However, we found out, it was just 32 pieces of sawn timber.”
Kencho Drukpa said the investigation team levied a fine of Nu.12, 000 accordingly. They also found out the Mangmi had misused about 200 CFT rural timber for Nepay Lhakhang. “He was levied a fine of Nu.1, 24,104.”
The CFO said the informer was not satisfied with the outcome of the investigation and they did carry out an inspection again and instead caught a contractor with 741 CFT of timber at the site.
Still not satisfied with the outcome, Touchu approached forest head office in Thimphu. Their investigation revealed that the Mangmi had also misused other people’s passbook that one requires to extract timber under Rural House Building Timber allotment. The Mangmi was again levied fine of Nu.76,000.
Meanwhile, the case of the contractor, who was caught at the site, has been forwarded to the Wangdue Phodrang District Court. He was caught misusing the rural house building timber again.
The contractor had refused to pay the penalty of Nu.400, 000.
