Borjhar, April 8: A forest range officer under Kamrup west forest division has lodged an FIR against officials of the Assam State Electricity Board, Chaygaon subdivision, alleging destruction of forest resources to supply power to some encroachers in Milmilia reserve forest.

Milmilia reserve forest under Bamunigaon range is spread over 1,963 hectares in Kamrup district.

The incident came to light when forest personnel on routine patrolling duty saw a transformer recently installed inside the Milmilia reserved forest by clearing forest patch.

"On March 27, I officially asked the assistant engineer, ASEB, to stop connecting power lines in the area under the reserve forest, but to no avail. So, I lodged a police complaint against the officials with Chhaygaon police station on Friday," Jiten Das, forest range officer of Bamunigaon range, told this correspondent today.

The act is a violation of the Forest Conservation Act, 1980 because felling trees inside a reserve forest without official permission is prohibited. It is also a violation of Supreme Court Verdict, 1996.

"We are not opposed to electrification but not at the cost of natural vegetation," B.C. Das, divisional forest officer of Kamrup west forest division, said.

Forest department sources alleged the officials of Chaygaon electrical sub-division had cleared up a forest patch by felling 11 sal trees and destroying vegetation before installing the transformer.

Sources also alleged the electricity sub-division had provided power connections to "some encroachers residing in the reserve forest".

Based on their use, trees such as sal (shorearobusta) are classified into category A-II in Assam.