​​​​​​​Nabarangpur, Jan 21: They were not red rebels to torch the bikes of forest officials who protect the green envelopes around the remote villages of Odisha’s Nabarangpur district, where they exile and play hide & seek with the police.

Charring three forest watchers’ bikes while the green men were engaged in plantation, down the Bald Hill forest under the Dabugam Forest Range has sparked a row over the forest officials’ rapport with the locals.

Thus, the reason behind the incident is yet to be ascertained. However, long pending discontent of the locals on the forest officials, is suspected to be the underlying matter.

Apart from it, the Range officials anticipate encroachment related reason behind the public agony.

Assistant Conservator of Forest (ACF) Subash Ch. Khuntia while responding on the sensitive incident said, “We had smelt a public discontent over massive plantation that was undertaken with evacuating forest-land encroachment. It could have been the pivotal reason the the public rage.”

At least three bikes belonging to forest watchers in Odisha’s Nabarangpur were gutted on Tuesday allegedly by some forest land encroachers.

The incident took place at the Bald Hill plantation of Bald Hill Reserve Forest near Khadkapadar village, under the Maidalpur section of Dabugam range in the Nabarangpur district.

Forest watchers identified as Sindhu Jani, Gajendra Jani, and Surendra Agariya, have lodged complaints with the police, following the approval of the ACF.

According to the Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACF) Subash Chandra Khuntia, a few watchers were engaged in plantation in the bald hill region. Meanwhile, some unidentified miscreants torched three bikes that belonged to three watchers and, parked by the hill.

ACF Khuntia also stated that a written complaint has been filed with the Maidalpur Police. The reason behind the incident is under investigation.

Worth mentioning, Odisha Forest Department has devised of the Forest Development Agencies, and Vana Surakshya Samitee (VSS) to maintain rapport of forest officials with the local villagers and to garnering community support in protecting forest resources.

Apart from it, the Forest Department has special provision under the Food For Work (FFW) Program and MGNREGA scheme, to engage local wagers at work for income generation. On the other hand, inattention of the Range Officials on the tribal resources, living in and around the forests, attracts massive public discontent on the errant officials. However, the precise reasons behind the Nabarangpur forest issue, are yet to be unveiled by the police or high-end forest authorities.