Port Blair, May 3: The Member of Parliament, Shri Bishnu Pada Ray has demanded that all saw mills that were closed after the 2002 Order of the Hon’ble Supreme Court be opened for the benefit of the islanders.
Apprising the Member Secretary, Central Empowered Committee (CEC), New Delhi through his letter dated 29th April 2013, the MP noted that prior to the Supreme Court’s Order, all the private saw mills in A&N Islands were being issued 500 cbm of round logs per year. The Shekhar Singh Commission had also recommended in its report for allowing extraction of 10,000 cbm of timber per year from A&N Forests. But later the CEC had empowered the A&N Administration for issue of 500 cbm logs to private saw mills viz. M/s Smarias Trading Co., M/s Mukesh Lall Saw Mill, Andaman Cottage Match Industries, Arasan Cottage Match Industry & Saw Mill and Andaman Cottage Match Industries, leaving aside majority of active members of the A&N Small Scale Wood Based Industries Association.
The MP further noted that A&N Islands falls under earthquake Zone V and it is the reason why buildings since the British period are constructed using timber. Even today such buildings stand strong inspite of facing several earthquakes. The houses of local residents across the islands are constructed out of timber including several official bunglows, which needs timber badly for repairs and maintenance, he said.
In this connection, the residents of Nicobar District & N&M Andaman District, majority of who are coconut farmers are the worst sufferers. They are compelled to transport timber from Port Blair at exorbitant rates. The fact remains that timber in the islands is being stolen by poachers or fall down after maturity, which has gone un-noticed by the Forest Department Officials, said the MP.
Bishnu Pada Ray, the Member of Parliament has thus demanded immediate intervention of the CEC in the burning issue of timber scarcity in the islands and requested that directions be given to A&N Administration to re-open all Saw Mills that were forced to close following the Hon’ble Supreme Court’s Order dated 7th May 2002.