Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister and Forest Minister Pawan Kalyan has sounded a stern warning to the red sanders smuggling network, vowing to crush the mafia with an iron fist. During an intense review tour in Tirupati district on Saturday, the Minister declared that four major kingpins have already been identified and a full-scale crackdown is underway.

Inspecting the Mamandur forest belt and the red sanders godown at Mangalam, Pawan Kalyan expressed deep anguish over the large-scale looting of the sacred wood. “Red sanders has immense spiritual significance, scriptures say it was born from the wound of Lord Venkateswara himself. Yet, smugglers have destroyed nearly two lakh trees in the Seshachalam forests,” he said.

The Minister announced the creation of a special task force and said he had already reviewed progress with district SPs. He also revealed that the state is ready to sign a coordination pact with the Karnataka government to curb cross-border smuggling. “We have identified four major smugglers. Once the operation begins, there will be no turning back. If ‘Operation Kagar’ can succeed in this country, we can certainly end the smuggling racket here,” Pawan Kalyan asserted.

Sending a clear message, he warned that those who do not voluntarily stop illegal activities will face property seizures under forest laws. “We will not remain silent spectators while our environment is being ravaged,” he declared, urging local villagers and Tamil Nadu laborers not to aid smugglers.

At the Mangalam depot, the Minister personally reviewed red sanders stock records from eight godowns, checking details by A, B, C, and non-grade categories. He directed officials to implement barcoding and live tracking for every log to ensure that not a single piece goes missing from seizure to sale.

Still finds time to read

Pawan Kalyan is known to be an avid reader. In spite of trekking four km through Mamandur forests and inspecting tree species including ankudu, vellamadi, and bamboo, along with rare plants unique to the Seshachalam range. He took out time in between and was seen reading ‘Man Eaters and Jungle Killers’ by Kenneth Anderson who is known for several books about hunting man-eating tigers especially in the jungles of South India.  From the Neerparayar watchtower, he surveyed the vast forest stretch, examining the Swarnamukhi River’s origin and nearby reserve boundaries.