Политика

From the pearl of the region of Velingrad and Rakitovo have become neuralgic points, a symbol of corruption and gorolomism. In an unknown way, 100 cc of purchased logs are converted into 300 cc of planks.
In 2001 Rakitovo State Forestry has imposed acts for a total of BGN 500,000, and from them have been collected... 500 leva.
The forest staffing system is congested: currently, the number of employees working is less than the number of former employees waiting to return through lawsuits.
The above findings were heard at a meeting held on 12 February in Velingrad, dedicated to the problem of forest protection. It was under the auspices of the regional governor Ivan Dimitrov, who was present together with his deputy Recep Mollaahmed. The mayor and the chairman of the Municipal Council in Velingrad Dr. Tsvetan Dafov and Nejat Kehayov and the deputy mayor Snezhana Veleva took part. Chief Ivan Kormushev, his deputy B, came from the Regional Forest Directorate. Mitev, experts and all directors of forestry and game breeding stations in the area. On behalf of the Regional Prosecutor's Office participated Natalia Peshterska, from the Police Department of the Ministry of Interior Major Ognian Krastev, from the Fire Service Lt. Col. Panov. The civic organizations represented the chairmen of the Society for the Protection of Nature Tzvetko Kanchev, the Society for the Protection of the Rhodopes Georgi Pashov and the Association of Craftsmen "Tsepina" Georgi Totolakov.
With so many responsible cadres gathered in one place, expectations of the meeting's work were justified. However, a lot of energy went into repeating over-knowledgeable findings about the reasons that led to the plundering of the forests (unemployment, Roma, hunger, we let the traders into the forest, etc.); exchange of the criticisms between the institutions on duty (the tax authorities do not collect the amounts under acts, the prosecution releases offenders, then the tinkers with mobile phones and chains mock the current industry); looking for a way out in amendments to the Law on Forests (these may be difficult to be made).
Currently, forest legislation is at odds with the forest, Eng said. Kormushev. Escalates aggressiveness against forest officials, and since forest legislation alone is unable to stop offenders, mayors are also sought assistance. On this line, there was already an emergency session of the Municipal Council in Rakitovo, and in Peshtera they decided to confiscate horses without veterinary seals. The director of DL "Velingrad" Eng. Geno Peev. The "Soloun Customs" - the road from Yundola, was closed with a forest post. At the beginning, this measure has given a result, but at the moment 100-150 cars pass with material that foresters know is illegal, but the smugglers have perfect documents. It is the same at the Chepinsko point, better is the situation of the coups in Draginovo and Nachovoto. Because of the checkpoints, many intruders have gone along the Guard and Bachovitsa, where soon there will not be a single tree left. The guards work from 4 to 8 o'clock in the morning and from 18 to 24 o'clock in the evening. A big problem is the small workshops that work at night and the fact that 80% of the illegal wood is beaten and difficult to monitor.
Similar problems were shared by the director of DL "Rakitovo" Eng. Dimitar Andonov. In just one month, 321 acts of trespassing were compiled there. By order of the mayor, a check and a new registration of the workshops was started. Without the Ministry of Interior and the Prosecutor's Office, we cannot cope, appealed Mr. Andonov.
We are fighting the inquest, not the cause, according to the director of VAT "Chepino" Eng. Moussa Hoxha. The problem is not only in the foresters, but in the attitude of society to the problem. Must "forest" not mean a scammer, because many valuable people work in the system as well. The population looks away and morally agrees with the offenders, added G. Pashov from the Society for the Protection of the Rhodopes. More than 1/3 of the local population lives from illegal timber mining and trade, and the Municipal Council does not deal with this issue. Have no illusions that after the meeting something will change, he stressed. If we want to protect the forests, a thought-out personnel policy must be pursued, said Eng. Cvetko Kanchev. The system is clogged with lawsuits, this is our legacy from the former minister, especially in Velingrad, explained Eng. Kormushev. One of the few new and interesting ideas of the meeting was given by the deputy governor R. Mollaahmed. According to him, the regulatory base categorically facilitates trade and business, and change will occur only when control and forestry are two absolutely different instances. They cannot steal in Bulgarian, and we can judge them in European, insisted Mr Mollaahmed. We are working on evidence, we cannot judge by cell phones and chains, but we comply with the Criminal Code, opposes Prosecutor Peshterska. Illegal does not always mean that someone has committed a crime, it may be an administrative offence, she explained and provoked open dissent among foresters. It hurts us that serious violations are not punished, eng. Mitev recalled a number of cases in which offenders were not punished, and for attacks against forest officials nothing was undertaken. Soon in the coat of arms of Velingrad instead of a tree you will have to put a chainsaw, recommended the deputy chief of the RUG. Prosecutors are the hands of the state, but they protect criminals, added Eng. D. Singing. There is no point in confrontation between institutions, urged Mayor Dr. Dafov. He pointed to another solution: if the municipal forests are returned, there will be much stricter controls and no investor interests will be stopped, as happened a year ago with Yundola 91. The Chairman of the Municipal Council N. Kehayov reminded that the quality of our life and the resort depends on the forests and therefore the local parliament will also demand radical changes to the Forests Act. The meeting is disappointing, summed up G. Totolakov from the association "Tsepina". Who thinks of the people who have made businesses and are struggling to survive, he asked. Why thieves are divided by color and who is black is a mitigating circumstance. There will be no businesses left, all will be black thieves, unless severe barriers are put in place to the thefts and all the reliefs for the business are given. Mr. Totolakov asked for representatives of the business necessarily give an opinion on the new law. At the final, the Regional Governor Ivan Dimitrov announced the news: within 10 days there will be a meeting of the Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Meglena Plugchieva with all foresters and mayors from the district. Proposals for amendments to the Forests Act will be made at the meeting and the Secretary General of the Interior Boyko Borisov may be invited as a last hope for normalization of the situation.
Elena Baeva