Aagya Khabar
Mahottari

It has come to light that the publication and dissemination of information within the Mahottari Division Forest Office is being carried out based on internal “arrangements” rather than transparency. While forest conservation and forest area management remain a primary responsibility, the flow of related information appears to be dictated by the influence of well-connected individuals.

As control over the publication of information and budget management increasingly rests in the hands of a few elites at the Division Forest Officer (DFO) level, genuine individuals and organizations actively involved in forest conservation are being neither recognized nor appreciated for their efforts.

“Those who work tirelessly to protect the forest always remain in the shadows,” said a local conservationist. “The information budget is consistently misused at the Division Forest Office, and grassroots conservation workers and media outlets like us are routinely ignored.”

The issue has raised serious concerns, as promotional activities under the banner of forest conservation are focused solely on individuals with access, sidelining both local forest guardians and media organizations operating in the region. Allegations have also surfaced that the head of the Mahottari Division Forest Office lacks genuine commitment to forest protection.

“The budget allocated for information dissemination arrives, but its utilization is nowhere to be seen. Promotion activities are conducted in a way that benefits only a select few,” noted another local journalist.

Forest conservation is a sensitive and long-term process that requires cooperation among the community, the media, and the forest administration. However, the current situation in Mahottari reveals a deep imbalance in that collaborative framework.

Local residents have called upon the Division Forest Office to immediately adopt a transparent, inclusive, and results-oriented approach to forest management, and to hold itself accountable to the public.