Kodungoor: A mahogany tree that threatens a house near Vazhoor Government High School has turned into a bureaucratic puzzle, with a file seeking permission to cut it down remaining stuck in government offices for the past three years.

The file pertains to a proposal to remove a massive mahogany tree, measuring 124 inches in girth. Standing along the wall of Vazhoor Government High School, it poses a threat to the house of P N Rajappan of Puthenpurakkal House, Kodungoor. Rajappan first submitted complaints to the school authorities and the Vazhoor panchayat in August 2023, pointing out the danger posed by the tree. When no action followed, he raised the issue again during the Nava Kerala Yathra led by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan at Ponkunnam on December 13, 2023.

The Chief Minister’s office subsequently forwarded the complaint to the District Education Office for further action. On April 18, 2024, the Social Forestry Department inspected the tree and assessed its value at ₹1,21,362.55. However, despite three rounds of public auctions conducted at the school office, no bidders came forward, prompting the authorities to invite closed quotations. The highest quotation received was ₹55,555.

On January 14, 2025, the office of the Deputy Director of Education sent a letter to the District Panchayat Secretary seeking further action based on the highest quotation received. The complainant, meanwhile, also alleges that repeated calls to the panchayat office have not yielded any response.

The District Panchayat Secretary, however, said that if the amount quoted is lower than the valuation prepared by the Social Forestry Department, the decision on cutting and removing the tree must be taken by the office of the Deputy Director of Education.