Sandalwood smugglers have illegally cut eight matured sandal trees in the district headquarters town here in an organized manner, a Forest department official said today.
The estimated cost of the illegally cut sandal trees is said to be over Rs 10 lakh, Forest Range Officer, Phulbani H K Mallick said.
Six such trees were cut down and transported to outside the district from three different places, they said.
Two other trees though cut could not be transported from the spot reportedly due to timely intervention of some local youth near local Narayani temple.
"Cutting of eight sandal trees in a span of ten days is no doubt an open challenge to the forest department," said Sadananda Behera, Forester, Phulbani jurisdiction, opined.
Ashok Parida Secretary Kandhamal Vikash Parishad alleged that such feelings of sandal trees are being done in collusion with some forest field officials.
"We demand a high level probe to unveil the truth behind the entire episode," Parida said.
