Kolkata, July 14 -- Two days after ordering a statewide crackdown on illegal liquor and gambling dens, West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Tuesday directed the Forest Department and the police to launch a concerted drive against illegal sawmills and timber smugglers, warning that organised timber theft must be eliminated even as the state embarks on an ambitious afforestation campaign.
Launching Aranya Saptah (Forest Week) 2026, a week-long statewide afforestation programme, Adhikari also announced a target of planting and nurturing 1.10 crore tree saplings across West Bengal as part of the national 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' (One tree in the name of the mother) initiative.
The Chief Minister inaugurated the programme at Central Park...