Investigations into the mysterious drying up of over two thousand full grown trees in Kheer Ganga forest under Parbati division three years ago have led to the uncovering of a major scandal and revealed the modus operandi of how officials have been plundering the state's precious forest resources in the garb of "salvage markings".There is a complete ban on green fellings in the state and only trees damaged by natural calamities can be harvested by the Forest Corporation . The Kheer Ganga forest was worked under salvage markings from 1993 to 1995. However, within months the field staff of the department came up with a list of another 2197 dry trees from the same forest to be handed over to the corporation under salvage lots.