Port Blair, Oct 14: PCC President Kuldeep Rai Sharma along with a delegation of Andaman Furniture Industries Association called on the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Dr Shashi Kumar on 09th Oct, 2013 at Vansadan and stated the woe of the person engaged in furniture making. Kuldeep has stated that the registration of furniture mart with the divisional forest officers of the area concerned would require fulfilling of various provisions of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Forest Produce Transit Pass Rules 1966 as amended on 1st April 2004 which is beyond their scope and capacity.
Almost all Furniture Marts in these Islands are run by persons belonging to socially, educationally and financially backward classes and for obvious reasons, they would face much difficulties to maintain a bunch of registers and records as required in terms of the relevant provision made under Sl. No. ( c) of Rule 9( C) of the aforesaid Rules of 1966 incorporated in its amendments dated 1st April 2004. With the advent of readymade furniture in the local market and scarcity/restriction imposed on sale of sawn timber coupled with steep rise in the cost of timber, the furniture industry in the Island is as witnessing rough phase with diminishing sale of the locally manufactured furniture.
Subsequent to the restriction in extraction of timber imposed by the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India nearly 40% of the furniture marts in the Islands have been shut down there by rendering several craftsmen and workers jobless. Hence, making it mandatory for the existing Furniture Marts to comply with the stringent and not feasible stipulations made under Sub Rule 9( C) of the 2004 amended version of Andaman and Nicobar Islands Forest Produce Transit Rules 1966 ,will pose further problem to these poor Craftsmen rather than serving the purpose envisaged in the said Rule.
Hence, Kuldeep has requested to consider giving waiver for the registration of furniture marts operating in these Islands with the concerned Divisional Forest Officers, as it will not only give respite to these 150 odd furniture marts and to their family members whose livelihood depends on future prospect of this industry in our Island but will also be an encouraging step towards furtherance of this industry for which government too is liable. PCCF has reportedly assured to look into the matter.
