Notwithstanding tall claims by the north-eastern States, the region has recorded huge losses of forest cover, with the Forest Commission calling for an end to nexus between politician, bureaucrat and contractor in Assam and three other States. If the nexus between politician, bureaucrat and contractor goes on developing, as is the case in Assam, Uttaranchal, Himachal and Kashmir, then any attempt of development will be diminished and then the exploited tribal people will try to take revenge, the Commission warned. It is, therefore, necessary that the Government and society at large consider very seriously the problems, resources, possibilities and difficulties of the north eastern States. Further, alarmed by the loss of green canopy cover, the Commission has recommended deployment of special protection staff and paramilitary forces to prevent illegal felling, encroachment, infiltrations, smuggling and poaching. The measures were particularly recommended for forest located on the international borders and in insurgency-affected areas. According to the latest report of Forest Survey of India on the State of Forest, released last weekend, around 728 sq km area of forest has been wiped out in two years from 2003 to 2005. The area is roughly half the size of the national capital. Another 630 sq km area of productive forests has been turned into degraded patches with little ecological value, said the report. Assam, Nagaland, Manipur, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Andaman and Nicobar Islands have suffered the biggest losses in the two years, said the FSI report, prepared on the basis of satellite imagery and ground-based verification. The report also revealed that the rich forests in some of the north-eastern States suffered on account of bamboo flowering. Meanwhile, the Forest Commission's report, also echoing similar concerns over the state of forests in the north-eastern region goes a step ahead, criticising the nonchallant attitude of the region's governments. "A large number of reports and recommendations have been made, but none has been implemented to any great extent,' remarked the Commission, which has submitted its report to the Prime Minister. For the safety of settled agriculture and social system, conservation of forest resources in Assam and Brahmaputra valley is most essential. Only with such conservation can the area progress towards a positive change. Forests affect the life and lifestyles of a higher percentage of people of each State of the north-eastern region (NER) than of any other State in India. But they receive amongst the lowest priority in both attention and in financial allocation, observed the Commission. To compound matters further, there are boundary disputes between the States and problems of wood, wildlife poaching and smuggling with bordering countries of Myanmar and Bangladesh. The border problems have mainly arisen out of notification of boundaries of the erstwhile State of Assam, both during British rule and consequently, at the time when reorganisation of the north-eastern States took place. The border disputes have resulted in the absence of effective government control over the disputed areas, which has further resulted in large-scale encroachment and destruction of forests. In addition, there are problems of illicit felling of timber along the Tripura-Bangladesh border and of illegal trade in border along the Manipur-Myanmar border, the report said. In Assam, there are many encroachments in reserved forests and their magnitude is not less than 3000 sq km. While legally all such people should be evicted, these encroachments are continuing due to various reasons, it said. The status of demarcation of forest areas is very fluid and there are instances, where encroachments are legalised to the benefit of encroachers in the absence of appropriate maps and boundaries. This leads to disputes in settlement and is reflected in working plans. The NER is considered to be one of the