The Telangana State Biodiversity Board has distributed ₹2.25 lakh each to the relevant 11 Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs) at its meeting held here on Monday. The amount was received from the National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) as a benefit-sharing component from Sri Biotech Laboratories India Ltd, Hyderabad for accessing biological resources for research purposes.
The identified benefit claimants from among the BMCs are based on geographical location of the respective village/taluk/district from where the biological resources were collected. The cheques were handed over by TSBDB secretary Kalicharan S. Khartade to the BMC chairpersons/ members. He advised them to utilise the amount towards the conservation and promotion of biological resources and socio-economic activities of BMCs.
The benefit sharing component payable by the users for commercial utilisation of biological resources are ranging from 0.1% to 0.5% at the graded percentage of the annual gross ex-factory sale of the products minus government taxes. This is as per the National Biodiversity Act, a press release said.
