The Hindu : 'Training can help sandalwood craftsmen use other types of wood'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jul 17, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Karnataka-Bangalore

'Training can help sandalwood craftsmen use other types of wood'

By Our Special Correspondent

Bangalore July 16. The Government is thinking of training traditional sandalwood craftsmen to shift to other kinds of wood in view of the paucity of sandalwood, according to the Health Minister, Kagodu Thimmappa.

Mr. Thimmappa, who was replying to a matter related to irregular supply of sandalwood to traditional craftsmen in Sagar and certain parts of the Uttara Kannada district during Zero Hour in the Legislative Assembly today, said it was not as if Government had stocks and was not making sandalwood available to craftsmen.

A special variety of wood was required for carving, but it was not available, Mr. Thimmappa pointed out, and said there was no need for a change in the mindset of sandalwood craftsmen for them to shift to other varieties of wood as those in Tamil Nadu and Kerala ahd done. The Government was thinking of imparting training to enable them to do so, he added.

Earlier, the minister said the Government would think of amending the law to ensure release of seized sandalwood in the custody of courts, which tried smuggling cases.

Raising the issue, Visveshwara Hegde (BJP) said craftsmen had been provided nine kg. of sandalwood in January after a lapse of 15 months. He wanted regular supply of sandalwood.

Reservation of seats

Suresh Kumar (BJP) and B.N. Bachche Gowda (AIPJD) raised the issue of non-declaration of reservation of wards for elections to the Krishnarajapuram City Municipal Council, the process of which had started.

Mr. Kumar said elections would not be fair if the Government kept the Opposition guessing till the last minute on the reservation of wards.

The Urban Development Minister, D.K. Shiva Kumar, promised to make a statement later.

Death of children

C. Byre Gowda (AIPJD) referred to the death of two children in Bellary who had fallen into a trench dug by the Bellary Development Authority, and wanted a case of murder to be filed against the officials concerned for their negligence. The Information Minister, Allum Veerabhadrappa, who replied, promised action against the officials.

Mysore zoo affairs

A. Ramadas (BJP) was informed by the Cooperation Minister, H. Vishwanath, who is the Minister in charge of Mysore District, that the Forest Minister had issued instructions to end the stalemate following lack of coordination among officials at the Jayachamarajendra zoo in Mysore.

Stamp duty

During Zero Hour, the Leader of the Opposition, Jagadish Shettar, urged the Government to withdraw the one per cent stamp duty levied recently on crop loans obtained by farmers from nationalised banks, in view of the drought situation.

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