The Himachal Pradesh government is seeking to waive off the condition of ‘ten years felling programme’ for Khair trees in the state. The government plans to put forth its legal stance in the Supreme Court of India to provide relief to the farmers and allow them to axe Khair trees as per their convenience.
The Importance of Khair Trees
Khair trees are valuable as Katha, an important ingredient used in various medicines, is extracted from the Khair wood. The State Government will plea that silviculture felling of khair wood is better for forest management and rejuvenation, besides generating revenue for the State.
Committee Recommendations (‘Ten Years Felling Programme’ For Khair Trees)
A Committee was constituted to recommend solutions for taking Khair out of the ambit of ten years felling programme and to relax the provisions of the Land Preservation Act in favor of the farmers. The report has been submitted to the Court, and the government hopes it will be taken into consideration.
Supreme Court Verdict
The Supreme Court has allowed the felling of Khair trees in 2018 on an experimental basis following a plea by the Forest Department. Recently, a Central Empowered Committee of the Supreme Court visited the areas where felling of Khair trees was allowed to assess the results. The Committee has submitted its findings to the Court.
Forest Department’s Recommendation
The Forest Department also recommends that felling of Khair should be allowed for the rejuvenation of government forests because of its rejuvenation properties. The State Government is likely to seek permission for felling Khair trees on government-owned forest land across the State.
Conclusion
The welfare of the farming community is a priority for the present State Government, and decisions are being taken to benefit them. Khair is one of the components of the agro-economy of the rural areas of Kangra, Una, Bilaspur, Sirmaur, Solan, and Hamirpur districts. If the verdict goes in favor of the State Government, it will give much-needed relief to the farmers, and the permission of the forest department will no longer be mandatory for felling Khair trees.
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