Digboi: An 18-wheeler truck carrying 80 pieces of timber was intercepted at Tingrai under the Doomdooma Forest Division, triggering fresh concerns over forest governance and regulatory oversight in Assam. The consignment, reportedly sourced from areas close to the Assam–Arunachal Pradesh border, was found to be without the required documentation.
According to forest officials, the timber-laden vehicle had passed through several forest ranges, police checkpoints and transport enforcement points before reaching Digboi without being detected. The incident has once again drawn attention to alleged loopholes in the system, particularly the growing dependence on Gaonbura certificates to legitimise timber felling and transportation.
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The lapse has also raised questions beyond the forest department. Preliminary verification revealed that the vehicle owner had failed to renew mandatory vehicle documents, pointing to possible shortcomings in monitoring by the Transport Department and the Motor Vehicle Inspectorate.
Local youths and wildlife activists said that the route used by the truck has long been flagged as a corridor for illegal timber movement. They expressed concern that repeated incidents of such nature have eroded public confidence in enforcement mechanisms meant to protect forest resources. Officials of the Doomdooma Forest Division have taken the truck and the seized timber into custody and initiated a detailed investigation. Authorities are currently verifying the source of the timber, the authenticity of documents, and compliance with transit and forest regulations. Further legal action will be taken based on the findings of the inquiry, officials said.
