J&K Govt reconstitutes committee to regulate wood-based industries

Srinagar, Nov 13: The Jammu and Kashmir Government has reconstituted the Union Territory–level Committee for Wood-Based Industries to ensure effective regulation, monitoring, and sustainable management of timber-based industrial activities across the Union Territory.
Government sources said that the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Head of Forest Force (HoFF), J&K, will serve as Chairman of the committee. The Managing Director of the J&K Forest Development Corporation Limited and the Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Central) have been designated as members.
The committee further comprises the Director of Industries and Commerce (Jammu/Kashmir), Conservator of Forests (Working Plan), Chief Conservators of Forests (Jammu and Kashmir), and representatives from the Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEFCC), Agriculture Production Department, Revenue Department, and the Saw Mill Association. The Chairman has the authority to co-opt any Conservator-level officer from the Forest Department as a special invitee.
The reconstituted committee is mandated to meet at least once every three months, maintaining a quorum of 50 percent of its members. It will assess the availability of raw materials for wood-based industries every ten years, identify appropriate locations for new industrial units, and regulate the number of units in specific localities.
The panel will also maintain a record of existing wood-based units, monitor their raw material consumption, and verify legal sources of timber before approving or enhancing industrial licenses. It may additionally make recommendations on related matters referred by the Government of Jammu and Kashmir. [KNT]