Dimapur, May 1 (MExN): On the eve of its proposed indefinite economic blockade on Peren district from May 2, the Nagaland Timber Traders’ Union (NTTU) today stated that decided to take the step in retaliation against “inhuman and insensitive decision of some vested interests.”
The blockade will commence from Monday from 6am and will be imposed on two main Dimapur-Peren routes, it said.
Justifying the proposed blockade, the NTTU in a press statement via its Publicity Cell, detailed the sequence of events resulting in what is termed as “present unresolved issued between the timber contractors and Peren civil society organisations.”
As per the union, in October 2021, following a sudden announcement of Peren CSOs to impose ban on movement of unprocessed timber from Peren district to other districts, the timber community led by NTTU and Peren CSOs held a joint meeting in Jalukie.
The NTTU then voiced out its objection against the Peren CSOs decision and iterated that the timber traders and community, as one of the main stakeholder, should have been consulted before its banning decision, it maintained.
NTTU president, Kevise Sogotsu then noted that if Peren CSOs were bent on imposing the ban, then the timber traders who had invested a huge amount of money, labour and machinery, should be given two years time to wind up their logging/timber operations in Peren district and the union would have no objection, it narrated.
As the meeting ended inconclusively, another joint meeting of Peren CSOs, NTTU along with Deputy Commissioner, Peren, where the CSOs “flatly rejected the 2-year time sought by NTTU,” the union claimed.
Subsequently, NTTU went to court to seek redressal but request from some organisations and parties to withdraw case assuring that there was every possibility of an amicable settlement out of court, the union withdrew the case.
However, the issue remained unresolved and the NTTU and its affiliated units including Chümoukedima Timber Traders’ Association and Dimapur District Timber Mill Owners’ Association in a general body meeting held on April 26 resolved to impose economic blockade, it added.
On April 27, the NTTU also submitted a representation to the State government urging the latter to intervene and resolve the issue, the union said.
The union further informed that timber contractors operating in Peren district had entered into contract and signed legal agreements with 50 land/forest owners from different villages.
As per the agreements, which can be validated in any legal court, the timber contractors have every right to operate till expiry of the agreement, it added.
Accordingly, 27 villages under Peren district had also asserted that “the material forest products sold out to the contractors with an agreement made for the operation of log/timber under certain condition and period cannot be banned by any individual or groups as contractors have every right to operate until validity period is over,” the NTTU pointed put.
As per the union, the NTTU in a representation on December 2, 2021 to DC Peren had also stated that in terms of approved working schemes, the timber traders operating in Peren district had already made investments to the tune of Rs 6,67,55,709 crore.
Given the situation, the NTTU’s representation demanded that in the event of the Peren CSOs sticking to ‘ban’, then the Peren CSOs should pay back the invested amount together with 12% interest per annum to the timber traders.
“Now it is upto the general public to decide who is at fault and which party has breached and gone back against his/their own words and commitments, the NTTU stated.
The union also alleged that some leaders within the Peren CSOs are “hell bent to keep the ban in force for their own vested interests” with the intention of forcing the timber contractors to have their round logs sawn and processed in sawmill located in Jalukie itself.
However, as pointed out before, none of the sawmills presently functioning in Peren district have been approved by the authority concerned for processing round logs, the NTTU claimed.
Hence, there was no alternative but to transport the same to the approved mills outside the district, it added.
It further accused the Peren CSOs of seizing and unloading 24 timber-laden trucks in Jalukie in total disregard to accepted norms on December 24, 2021.
During the intervening period, the very livelihood of scores of timber contractors, mill owners and hundreds of families dependent of timber business are at stake due to the inhuman and insensitive decision of some vested interests, the NTTU stated.
Coupled with the COVID-19 pandemic, all timber businesses in Dimapur have come to a complete halt for more than two years and many contractors and traders are in huge debts as they had borrowed money to run their businesses, it said.
As a result, the NTTU on behalf of all timber contractors and mill owners decided to impose economic blockade, especially banning of timber and forest produce emanating from Peren district.
“This is to let the Peren CSOs also understand the extreme hardships faced by us due to their uncalled for ban,” it added.
While requesting the general public to understand the reason behind the economic blockade, the NTTU also reminded “certain organistions and groups that in case of undue interference in the blockade imposed by NTTU, then those organisations will be held accountable to pay the total money invested in Peren by the timber contractors.”
