The Sunderbans development department is eyeing timber seized by the forest department from smugglers worth about Rs 20 lakh to make much needed furniture for the schools and colleges in North and South 24 Parganas. Sunderbans minister Kanti Ganguly is expected to write a letter soon to forest minister Jogesh Barman, seeking permission to use the timber seized from different parts of the mangrove delta. The seized wood is lying in different forest range and beat offices at Rampur in Sajnekhali, and Baghna, Duttar, Pakhiralay of Gosaba in the Canning sub division of South 24 Paraganas and Jhingerkhali at Hingalgunj in North 24 Parganas in West Bengal.