DECISION: Badal asks industries department to immediately declare wood based industry as agro-based industry

Chandigarh, January 11, 2013: In a land mark decision to promote agro-forestry as a part of farm diversification program, the Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today asked the state industries department to immediately declare wood based industry as agro-based industries in the state. 

A decision to this effect was taken by Badal in a high level meeting with the progressive farmers, Plywood manufacturers, Arhtias (commission agents) and Timber/Wood merchants here at Punjab Bhawan this morning.  

The Chief Minister asked the Financial Commissioner Development to immediately send their recommendations to the industries department for declaring wood industry as ‘agro-based industry’ across the state with an objective to promote it in a big way.  

He also directed the industries department to issue a notification in this behalf at the earliest so that the plywood manufacturers could avail of incentives/benefits from the banks and other financial institutions for seeking loans as admissible under the agro policy.  

Likewise, the Chief Minister also asked the finance department to examine the demand of agro-based industry with regard to interest subsidy.  He also announced that the saw mill owners; arhtias would also be given shops/land at subsidized rates in the mandis. 

The Chief Minister also constituted a committee of representatives of Punjab Mandi Board, farmers, arhtias, saw mill owners, wood based industry owners and experts from Punjab Agricultural University Ludhiana for seeking their suggestions in order to promote agro forestry in the state.  The committee would be chaired by the Principal Chief Conservator of Forest, Punjab. 

In order to give  major fillip to Agriculture diversification and weaning away the farmers from traditional wheat-paddy cycle, Badal also announced that four ultra modern dedicated wood mandis would be soon established at Balachaur, Naushera (Hoshiarpur), Dasuya and Khaasi (Ludhiana) so that farmers could get remunerative price of their wood.  

The Chief Minister categorically said that there would be no restriction on sale of wood by farmers as they could sell their produce from their farms to saw mills/wood based industry directly or could openly sell in mandis also, if they so wished.

Badal also said that in future farmers would not be required to seek any prior permission for direct purchase of wood.   

The Chief Minister also asked the Director of Indian Plywood Research and Training Institute, Bangalore CN Pandey to look into the feasibility for setting up of Common Facility Centre for the manufacturing of quality plywood in the state.  He also sought cooperation from Director Forest Research Institute Dheradun Dr. PP Bhojvaid to send a team of experts to share their experiences with the officers of forest department to boost agro forestry in the state.