Tension prevailed at Margherita Subdivision when wild pachyderms in search of food came out from the nearby Forest Reserve.
The pachyderms created havoc at the Pilkhana line of Namdang Tea Estate under 83 number Margherita Constituency of Tinsukia district while vandalizing at least six houses of Namdang Tea Estate workers.
One of the victims said that it is common for wild pachyderms to enter our areas and destroy our houses, however, the Margherita West range forest and Digboi Forest Division DFO TC Ranjith Ram allegedly did not give any kind of response or provide financial aid from Forest Department.
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Meanwhile, on November 17 a team of Assam Tea Tribes Student Association Margherita regional committee led by Pranjal Baraik joint publicity secretary of ATTSA central executive committee visited the vandalized houses in Assam and said that due to rampant chopping of precious trees at the forest reserve areas of Margherita Constituency under Digboi forest Division wild pachyderm regularly entered at every house in search of food and vandalized.
Blaming the forest department, the student body also stated that the Margherita West range forest officer and Digboi Divisional forest officer of Digboi don't take appropriate steps to prevent wild pachyderms from entering at public houses of Margherita under Tinsukia district which ATTSA demands Assam forest department to immediately take stern action against corrupt forest department officials and timber syndicate gang for whom illegal chopping of precious trees is rampantly going on.