Port Blair, March 09: Mr. Subir Chander, Adhyaksh, Zilla Parishad, South Andaman met the PCCF, A &N Islands, Mr. Tarun Coomar, IFS in his office regarding registration of units for procuring imported logs (not using logs of domestic origin) for producing sawn timber for local inhabitants. Mr. Coomar has been instrumental in initiating the proposal for getting this clarification from Govt. of India, being very concerned about meeting the requirement of wood for domestic needs of local people.
Restrictions in exploiting local timber proved to be an impediment to efforts in meeting the needs, hence he pushed this idea of supplementing it with imported timber from foreign countries.
The Ministry of Environment Forests and Climate Change had taken a decision on the issue for certain specific states. Now, they have issued a letter clarifying the applicability to all states and UTs. Now local units willing to engage in processing round logs brought from outside India, can operate after registering with A & N Forest Department.
Mr. Kuldeep Rai Sharma, Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha, representing A&N Island’s constituency, vehemently followed up the matter with the central government and got it through.