Laxman Kishore Chaudhary, Minister of Industry, Tourism, Forests and Environment of the Far West Provincial Government suddenly resigned last Saturday. Why did he resign? To understand the answer to this question, it is necessary to understand the 14-minute long audio clip that was released before his resignation. Was he involved in the plan of financial manipulation in collusion with forest mafia as stated in the publicized audio clip? Is he alone in this plan or are other political parties involved?

About a week and a half ago. An audio of the dialogue with Industry, Tourism, Forest and Environment Minister Laxman Kishore Chaudhary has been released. In which, it is heard that they are advising on financial transactions while creating a procedure in the Far West. It is understood that Minister Choudhary is making necessary plans in discussion with former Forest Minister and UML politburo member Naradamuni Rana and some timber merchants (whose names have not yet been disclosed) in the dialogue.   Soon after the

audio was released, Chief Minister Kamal Bahadur Shah instructed Chowdhury, who became a minister from the Civil Liberation Party's quota, to resign. And Minister Chaudhary immediately resigned. By obeying the instructions of the Chief Minister and not even replying to the audio, the doubt has been raised that Minister Choudhary was planning an illegal business .

Chaudhary said that the audio is not wrong but claimed that the discussion took place last August. He said that when he was a minister recently, some people came to visit him and the conversation that took place at that time was recorded and made public now. He has claimed that he has become a victim of internal factionalism within the party in this incident.

From the dialogue in the public audio, it is understood that there was a discussion in a room with Minister Choudhary and the discussion was focused on getting the 'procedure' prepared as soon as possible . But it is unclear whether what was heard in the conversation is the procedure related to sustainable forest management or the procedure related to the cutting of annual trees of the private forest . According to informed sources, the secret plan, which has ministers, leaders and businessmen, refers to the preparation of a procedure with provisions for cutting sal trees in private forest areas and selling and distributing them.

It is heard that UML politburo member Naradamuni Rana, who is also the former forest minister, was involved in the role of catalyst and facilitator for Minister Choudhary in the dialogue. Leader Rana, who is also in-charge of UML Kailali district, has also admitted that he is involved in that discussion. The same Rana not only advised Minister Choudhary to 'copy Lumbini's procedure and put Far West instead of Lumbini' to prepare procedure overnight, he motivated Minister Choudhary and said, 'You and I have to contest elections again, we have to earn money to win.' is heard . Financial transactions are being discussed in the background of the conversation.

The accused UML leader Rana claimed that he had no involvement in the financial transaction. "I have talked about business matters, there has been no transaction," Rana said in a press conference last Tuesday. During that time, I told him what I need to help him. They are trying to exaggerate by adding my name.'' In the first five minutes of the

audio, it is heard that there is a conversation that 25/30 of the work 'said to be done' will be reduced and some amount of it must be given to the party. But it is not revealed whether it is 25/30 lakhs or crores . In the public audio, even in case of transfer of employees, the case of having to pay cash to the Chief Minister is also heard. In the conversation, someone said,   "They just intervened in the transfer of staff, then I explained. The Chief Minister has a little more interest. That's why I said   .''In the

conversation, there is also a story about going to Kathmandu to meet the guardian Chaudhary and the chairman Shrestha of Civil Liberation Party regarding the passing of the procedure . One of them says, "By doing this, I will go to Kathmandu". Silk should be celebrated. If there is no silk, Ranjita should be persuaded.' In the

public audio, from the talk of 'meeting' with the Chief Minister, it is also heard saying 'I am fine with Arju in this power'. Arju is understood to mean Foreign Minister and Congress leader Arju Deuba Rana in conversation. But why and for what reason Arju is said to be meeting and what is his sign in this context is not revealed .   What is

procedure?

The Ministry of Industry, Tourism, Forestry and Environment has prepared "Utilization and Monitoring Procedures of Sal Species of Registered Private Forests - 2081". According to the source, it is understood that a plan was made between leaders, businessmen and ministers while making the procedure.

The Ministry of Industry, Tourism, Forestry and Environment prepared the said procedure and sent it to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Law and Economic Affairs for opinion suggestions on 06 November 2018. The Ministry of Internal Affairs had agreed on the said procedure on 081 Mansir 25th . The Ministry of Economic Affairs gave its consent on 18 January 2018.

Industry, Tourism, Forestry and Environment Ministry Spokesperson Bhojraj Pathak said that after getting the consent of both the ministries, it was registered in the office of the Chief Minister and Council of Ministers on 26th January 2018. But the chief minister's office has kept the procedure until now without passing it. Chief Minister Kamal Bahadur Shah said, "We have put a hold on it after requests started coming from many sides." An officer of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Law also said that there is widespread pressure on the creation of laws that are linked to someone's interests.  

Previously, there was only an arrangement until the Community Forestry approved the action plan and collected the fallen wood. Apart from that, there is a situation where no sal tree can be cut. But the Ministry of Forestry and Environment of the Government of Nepal issued a notice in the gazette on 7th of November 2008, and issued a legal notice on the right to cut and sell sal trees in private forest areas.

Ministry of Forestry Act-2076 section 77 issued the notification for the purposes of biological diversity, species conservation and environmental protection. In it, it is mentioned that ``cutting, consuming, transporting and selling sal species trees planted or grown in registered private forests can be done . But for that, it is said that the relevant state government should monitor the necessary. It is understood that there is a financial trick to make a procedure for the implementation of the point that should be monitored. 

UML leader Rana and the same group of timber traders have managed to publish a gazette with the provision that the Federal Ministry of Forestry and Environment can cut private forests. "It has come to be understood that the group is involved in the plan to cut trees of the year in the name of private forest sector in all the seven provinces by publishing that kind of information in the gazette from the federal ministry," said the source.

Some loose provisions have been placed in the procedure proposed by the Ministry of Far Western Province. Under which there is a provision that if there is a need to cut sal trees planted in private forest areas, information should be requested at the relevant local level and if the local level refuses, the representative of the ranger level of the Division Forest Office in the relevant district under the provincial ministry can grant permission. There is also the same type of arrangement in cases where the trees of the land connected to the National, Ilani, Parti, land have to be cut. 

In the current situation, the forest area is being destroyed by illegal logging, conservationists say that after the legality of cutting sal trees is obtained, illegal logging of sal wood will increase in the name of private forests. "Nowadays, timber merchants have been doing a lot of work in sustainable forest management, slope and dry stand management and private forest management," says Karan Rawal, president of Community Forest Consumer Federation Kailali, "Now it is unclear how the minister was getting involved. You can hear the movement of crores in the fallow, dry stand and sustainable forest management.'    

The sustainable forest management procedure being built by the same ministry is also being manipulated by wood traders . The Ministry had prepared a draft of 'Sustainable Forest Management Procedures Based on Forestry Enhancement System-2081' and submitted it to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Law for consultation. Amod Upadhyay, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Law said that it was sent back on 11th Chait 081 as it was not met.