The Andhra Pradesh Government would float global tenders for auction of 4,000 Metric Tonnes (MT) of seized red sanders in a week, Environment and Forests Minister Bojjala Gopalakrishna Reddy announced here on Monday.
Addressing a press conference after reviewing various activities of the Forest Department, he said that 4,000 MT of red sanders logs would be put to auction initially, although the Centre had accorded permission for 8,584 MT. While the base price was set at Rs.10 lakh per tonne, the government was expecting much higher price that was prevailing in the market, the Minister said when a reporter pointed out that the open market price was around Rs. 25 lakh per tonne.
He said the remaining quantity would be sold before October this year. The proceeds accrued from the sale would go to the State treasury and part of the money would be utilised for development of red sanders plantations. He said that a research institute on red sanders would be set up at Tirupati.
Due to alarming increase in the offences involving red sanders smuggling, the department has taken stringent protection measures and increased the number of base camps to 84 in red sanders bearing areas in Chittoor, Kadapa and Nellore districts, he said.
Forest protectionEach base camp has four to six tribal watchers who will patrol in the interior forests. In addition, 33 special strike forces, 11 armed mobile parties, have been set up for protection of red sanders trees. Besides a boat patrol in Somasila backwaters and a special task force with an armed platoon for round-the-clock vigil were set up to patrol in the three districts. In the recent past, 35 habitual red sanders smugglers had been booked under PD Act, the Minister said.
Mr. Gopalakrishna Reddy further said that the government had taken concrete steps for protection of forests. “As many as 151 base camps, 113 check-posts have been set up and 60 strike forces have been engaged for patrolling to prevent smuggling of forest produce,” he said, adding that the government had a fund of close to Rs.1,800 crore lying with Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management Planning Authority (CAMPA) and the amount would be spentfor improving the forest cover in the State.
