Lifting of ban on khair trade hailed

Tribune News Service

Jammu, April 21

The BJP has welcomed the opening of khair wood trade saying it will lead to prosperity of the farmers.

Addressing a press conference on Saturday, Rajinder Singh Chib, state president, BJP Kissan Morcha, said khair trees were grown by farmers on the hilly terrain. Katha and many ayurvedic medicines are made from this tree. However, due to the ban on the cutting of these trees in the state for the past 40 years, farmers were suffering.

“The rate, which was being allotted for the wood, was meagre against the prevailing rates in the nearby states. In J&K, farmers were getting Rs 800-850 per cubic feet as compared to Rs 3,500-4,000 per cubic feet in the neighbouring states,” said Chib, adding that the government’s lifting of ban would give farmers right to sell the khair wood at their will at any place at the market rates.

He said the farmers had expressed their gratitude towards the alliance government for considering their long-pending demand.

Kissan morcha state general secretary Raghuvir Singh Manhas, Sunil Sharma, Deepak Sharma and Rattan Lal Sharma were also present at the press conference.