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| Ban on extraction of MFP deprives rural population of livelihood in Chenab region | | | Asif Iqbal Naik
Early Times Report
KISHTWAR, Apr 20: Contrary to the claims of successive state governments of finding the ways and means to resolve the unemployment problem across the state, the ban on extraction of Minor Forest Produce (MFP) on which thousands of people depended in mountainous districts of Kishtwar, Ramban and Doda has deprived them of their livelihood puncturing the balloon of tall claims of successive regimes in Jammu and Kashmir which has highest unemployed ratio in the country.
The ban on the extraction of MFP has virtually exposed thousands of villagers in far flung areas of Chenab region to starvation. The villagers in entire Chenab valley residing in higher reaches were solely dependent on the extraction but the ban on it has exposed them to all sorts of hardships.
The extraction of herbs were carried by the locals especially females to earn their livelihood in those remote areas of demarcated forest of J&K state and royalty was paid on the extracted stocks to the forest department at the time of transportation. With the imposition of ban on extraction, the herbal industry in Kishtwar for processing of herbs duly registered by DIC Doda for processing of herbs went automatically sick which in turn prevented the villagers from extraction of herbs. During extraction period nearly 4000 souls were benefited @ Rs. 3000/ per month in 2001-2003.
The extraction process of these minor forest produces in the adjoining state of Himachal Pradesh is going on for the last two decades from demarcated forest by locals to earn their livelihood & boost the economy of rural as well as backward areas of state.
The proprietor of herbal industry that is now a sick unity- Rakesh Gupta said that the people of far flung areas used to earn their livelihood and the ban on the extraction has exposed them to starvation. He said that the employees who were working here are also faced with enormous problems. |
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