Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 12: Commissioner/Secretary Forest, Ecology and Environment Department, Saurabh Bhagat here today chaired the 21st Steering Committee meeting of J&K State Forest Corporation (SFC) which fixes norms and schedule of rates for lumbering operations and reserve rates for auctioning of timber.
The meeting was attended by PCCF/MD J&K SFC, Suresh Chugh, PCCF (T) Monaj Pant, CCF Kashmir, Farooq Geelani and other officers of the department.
Speaking in the meeting Bhagat advised the officers of the Corporation to make the Corporation financially more sound and profitable.
He emphasised on the need for rationalisation of timber rates in different zones which are presently very low as compared to the market price of timber. He said that Corporation should bring in new technology to work in a transparent and efficient manner.
MD of the Corporation briefed about present schedule of rates for lumbering operations, reserve prices of timber and working of SFC. He said that SFC has a limitation of working at a maximum of 80 lakh cft annual market of only dry and fallen trees as per Supreme Court orders.
He further informed that the Corporation has sold about 24.84 lakh cft to 60,990 bona-fide users after taking over of more than 870 sale depots spread throughout the State.
He further informed that during 2017-18 SFC has 41.62 lakh cft in open public auctions in various timber sale depots in Jammu and Srinagar.
The Commissioner Secretary later launched home delivery of timber by SFC vehicles from Fair Price Depot Shalteng at no profit base.
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