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| SC’s empowered committee likely to lift ban of saw mills, Khair | | | Early Times Report
JAMMU, May 17: Supreme Court appointed central empowered committee (CEC) concluded three day visit to the Kashmir region on Tuesday and is now on two day visit to Jammu region, beginning from Wednesday.
Sources said that CEC’s Jammu visit is aimed at debating ban on cutting of Khair trees. They added that during Jammu visit, the CEC members are scheduled to have field visits to assess impact of ban on the cutting of Khair trees on the livelihood of people belonging to this region. They stressed that forest department has made extensive preparations for team’s Jammu visit.
Sources further said that the team would stay in Jammu for two days and thereafter, return back to Delhi on May 19. They disclosed that during CEC’s Kashmir visit which began on May 15, the team which comprised of its chairman, P.V. Jayakrishnan, members, M. K. Muthoo and Mahendra Vyas and Amicus Curiaes, A. D. N. Rao and Siddhartha Choudhary on day one visited suburbs of Srinagar, Brain, Dachigam, Ganderbal and some other forest areas.
They said that during the visit, CEC team practically observed hardships being faced by people living close to the forest areas. Sources said that team took note of the grievances of the people, who were dependent on forest for their livelihood. They added that team was astonished to see how the forest department had observed Supreme Court directions with regard to operation of saw mills in toto.
Team members were sympathetic with those who lost their livelihood merely because of the closure of saw mills where they either were working or the ones which they owned said the sources. Forest department informed the CEC team about the action taken by them against the illegal saw mill owners. They apprised the team about closure of more than 400 illegally running saw mills.
Sources held out that CEC sympathized with the people rendered unemployed by the closure of saw mills. They said that CEC team was received with such enthusiasm by the commoners as if they were not officials of Supreme Court but interlocutors who had come to hear them and rescue them from the pathetic and miserable life.
Forest officials confirmed to Early Times that CEC is likely to take a lenient view of the ban imposed on running of saw mills. They said that forest department has prepared draft rules for operation of saw mills and is likely to submit it to CEC for getting approval of the same from the Supreme Court. “These rules are likely to get SC clearance and once it happens, lakhs of unemployed would get engaged,” said an official of forest secretariat.
He added that these draft rules are at par with those which are applicable to the rest of the country. “SC never banned operation of saw mills but had set some mandatory guidelines which J&K never implemented. Our officers preferred closure and dismantling of saw mills over implementing the guidelines,” said another official. He affirmed that all the district forest heads have been directed to come up with district plans within shortest possible time.
“We are working on creating employment for those who would often become part of violent mob in Kashmir. Forest department is serious about addressing the situation in its own way,” said the official. He maintained that CEC team met Minister for Forest Mian Altaf and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and assured them of their all possible assistance in redressing the situation.
Meanwhile, committee on the last day of its tour met Chief Secretary (CS) Madhav Lal in Srinagar this morning and deliberated upon the issues confronting the forest protection in the state. Chief Secretary thanked them for the visit and said both the State and CEC are unanimous in implementing the guidelines of the committee. He said the State is strictly following the guidelines from CEC whenever these are framed.
Chief Secretary said whatever information the CEC had sought during the last two years, mostly pertaining to wood based industry, was collected and submitted to it for evaluation. Meeting discussed in detail the status of saw mills in the state and asked the forest department to do a detailed study of the 912 saw mills which do not fall in any categorized slot. Chief Secretary impressed upon the forest department to do the study urgently so that the report is placed before the committee at the quickest.
Meeting also asked the department to look at the possibility of upgradation of machinery and technology at saw mills so that occurrences of pollution etc are minimized. It also asked the department to submit the case of felling of Khair trees to CEC so that it is appropriately disposed. Earlier in his presentation to the meeting, Commissioner-Secretary, Forests Shantmanu, said the tree cover has increased and currently, excluding Ladakh, 48 percent is under forest area. He said around one lakh people are dependent on the wood based industry and revised rules for the industry are almost ready.
State government was represented by Advocate General, M. I. Qadri, Commissioner-Secretary, Forests Shantmanu, Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, Dr. Asgar Samoon, Commissioner-Secretary, Industries, Umang Narula, Secretary, Law, G. H. Tantray, Principal Chief Conservator Forests (PCCF) R. D. Tiwari and other senior officers. |
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