LONG rows of unfinished and finished cricket bats, found on both sides of the Srinagar-Jammu national highway in the Sangam area, make an eye-catching sight for tourists passing through the area. A number of domestic tourists can be seen stopping at these shops along the highway.

Besides the apple packaging industry that makes boxes of poplar wood, the cricket bat units — located in the Sangam-Beijbehara area of Anantnag district of south Kashmir — is a major industry in the state, providing livelihood to hundreds of workers. According to Mohammad Yaseen, General Manager, District Industries Centre, Anantnag, there are 164 units manufacturing fully finished cricket bats. Generating employment to 1102 persons, these units are currently exporting bats to other states in the country. As many as 6,82,577 bats, valued at Rs 10 crore, were exported last year, he said. A revenue of Rs 22.80 crore was earned with the production of 19 lakh cricket bats in the last four years.

Each unit produces over 5000 bats annually. Scores of men work throughout the summer at each unit. Although these bats are not used in international matches, they are certainly used by state and college level players in the country. "These bats go to Delhi, Mumbai, Calcutta and many other cities of the country", said Sonaullah, a unit holder at Sangam. Two types of cricket bats — for juniors and adults — are manufactured by these units. One is for light balls in which the locally made handle from willow wood is fitted. The other has a bamboo handle and the material for that comes from outside the valley. The bats with such handles are hard and can be used by the players in colleges and universities, said Abdul Rashid, a worker at Sangam.

To give a boost to this industry, the state government plans to set up a modern facility centre at Halmulla, Beijbehara, with a potential turnover of Rs 100 crore annually. The existing sports goods complex-cum- common facility centre at Beijbehara over 204 kanals would also be made functional. The unit holders main complaint is that willow bat sticks are being smuggled out of the valley. The issue has been brought to the notice of the authorities concerned but no concrete steps have been taken in this regard, allege unit holders. In September, officials of the Excise Department impounded 2650 willow sticks at Lakhanpur. They were being smuggled out of the state, hidden under fresh fruit in a load carrier.

In order to upgrade bat manufacturing skill and give exposure to the sports goods manufacturers on modern trends of production and marketing, the Centre has approved the establishment of a processing and product development centre (PPDC) in Jammu and Kashmir on the pattern of the one at Meerut in Uttar Pradesh. All kinds of facilities like guidance and help in plantation of willow trees, marketing, procurement of raw material, availability of manpower and machinery, technical guidance to entrepreneurs shall be provided under one roof.