New Delhi India has potential to make forest produce like wood and paper as major foreign exchange earner and UN’s Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) is ready to extend knowledge and technological assistance for the same, a top FAO official said on Thursday.

“India can turn wood and paper as its major export items by pursuing a sustainable forestry policy,” Eduardo Rojas Sriales, assistant director general, forestry department, FAO,

The Centre is set to constitute a Minimum Support Price (MSP) commission to fix ‘assured price’ tribals would receive for collecting minor forest produce. The produce includes tamarind, medicinal plants, bamboo, mahua, sal seeds and tendu leaves. The panel, which would be formed under the tribal affairs ministry, would get lists of products that each state has declared as non-timber forest produce or minor forest produce (MFP).

Diphu: Various organizations and NGOs of the district in their press release on Wednesday demanded an immediate halt of illegal extraction and excavation of forest resources under Marat Longri Wildlife sanctuary area of Karbi Anglong district. In their joint meeting held at KSYC conference hall, the organizations after a meticulous discussion resolved to take action against illegal expeditions of extracting forest resources by some unscrupulous individuals.

BHUBANESWAR: In a major haul, forest sleuths seized at least nine truck loads of timber from an illegally running depot-cum-carpentry unit in Deulasahi near Bidanasi area of Cuttack in the wee hours of Wednesday. The value of the seized timber could run into ` 12 lakh. Acting on a tip off from City Division DFO Jayant Kumar Das, a team was waiting at Deulasahi where a Mahindra pick-up van arrived to unload timber on the premises. When the driver and helper saw the team, led by Jobra Range Officer Pranab Mohanty, they fled leaving the vehicle.

The Assam government has decided to go all out to protect the forest wealth of the State, a State minister said. The government has decided not only to arm forest guards with sophisticated weapons like AK-47 rifles and SLRs but also instructed all forest officials in each district to ensure immediate closure of all illegal saw mills. "We have done an amendment to the Forest Act. Through this amendment, the forest force is now recognized as a force like the police.

Guwahati, April 17: Dispur will carry out a concerted and coordinated drive against illegal saw mills between the last week of April and the first week of May as part of its effort to preserve the forest cover of the state. This was among several important decisions taken at a meeting of senior forest officers convened by forest minister Rakibul Hussain here today. It is said to be the first time that officers of social forestry, wildlife and territorial divisions participated together in a state-level meeting to chalk out the annual plan and programmes of the department.

“They have agreed to invest Rs 80 crore for setting up two industrial units at the proposed Bamboo Park at Bodhjungnagar and have already bought five acres of land from us,” Chairman of Tripura Industrial Development Corporation said.

Chief Minister Manik Sarkar laid the foundation stone for the Bamboo Park on January 27 which aimed to ensure value addition to bamboo. The Central government has sanctioned Rs 29 crore for its development, spread over 69 acres of land which is just 12 km from here.

LUCKNOW: The Japan International Cooperation Agency has expressed concerns over the implementation of its Rs 500-crore UP Participatory Forest Management and Poverty Alleviation Project (ID-P 194), following alleged irregularities in Bundelkhand. The agency also requested the UP government to conduct a high-level probe into the matter.