Kolkata, Nov 3 (IANS): Possibilities are brewing that certain matters of alleged financial irregularities in the West Bengal forest department might come under the scanner of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the near future, sources said.

The current Forest Minister, Jyotipriya Mallick, is already in ED custody for his alleged involvement in the multi-crore ration distribution case during his earlier tenure as the Food & Supplies Minister.

During the course of investigation, sources said that ED has come across some serious complaints by environment groups alleging irregularities in the forest department as well.

These groups have claimed that during the last couple of years, the forest department has allowed setting up of resorts by illegal occupying of forest land.

These groups have also claimed that there had been several instances of illegal felling of trees as well as giving permission illegally for setting up housing projects in the buffer zones adjacent to forests.

They claimed that such irregularities reached the peak during the past couple of years, since the time Mallick took over as the Forest Minister.

Mallick had been the Food & Supplies minister for 10 years from 2011 to 2021. After the 2021 Assembly polls, his portfolio was changed as he took over as the Forest Minister.