Calcutta, July 2: The Bengal forest department today refused to grant the air force permission to use the Teesta firing range round the year, saying it would affect the elephant population in the region since the area forms an important part of the animal’s corridor.

State forest secretary Bijoy Chatterjee met home secretary Asok Mohan Chakrabarti at Writers’ Buildings this evening to apprise him of the situation and ruled out the possibility of granting such a permission in clear terms .