A Private Member’s resolution for development of agarwood sector with its headquarters in Agartala was moved in the Rajya Sabha on Friday by Tripura BJP member Biplab Kumar Deb .
Cutting across party lines, members supported the resolution which calls for setting up of an Agarwood Board of India under the Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry, said a report from Tripura Times.
Deb, former Tripura Chief Minister, asked the government to smoothen the procedure for export of products made from agarwood such as oil, dry roots and chips, which he said, could ensure a business of around Rs 5,000 crore.
He drew attention of the House toward illegal trade (export or import) of agarwood products and suggested that the government should formalise its trade which will also help it garner tax revenue.
The resolution urged the government to empower the board to identify the issues, simplify the processes, and encourage different central and state ministries to work in collaboration for the overall development of agarwood sector.
It also demanded that the government should ensure support for promotion of the sector, prescribe policies that make it easier for growers to grow and harvest agarwood, and incentivise its industrial use.
It asked the government to promote scientific efforts for increasing agarwood production and improving its quality in line with the conditions laid down by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) of Wild Fauna and Flora and the Export-Import Policy of India.
The resolution also suggested adequate welfare measures for agarwood cultivators, self-help groups, and workers of MSME units engaged in production of agarwood-based products.
It urged the government to provide incentives to young entrepreneurs to undertake new ways of harnessing agarwood and products made with it for making India an export powerhouse.
Deb, a former Tripura BJP chief, told the House that the cost of pure agarwood oil extracted using natural process can go as high as Rs 75 lakh per litre, while the oil extracted through injecting artificial method is priced between Rs 20 lakh to Rs 30 lakh per litre.
Nominated member Rakesh Sinha and BJP members Ajay Pratap Singh (Madhya Pardesh, and Kamakhya Prasad Tasa and Parbitra Margherita (both Assam) supported the bill.
Santosh Kumar P (CPI) supported the resolution and said that nobody is opposed to such boards, and went on to wonder the efficacy of other such boards, citing the plight of spice board. “We have a wonderful spice board but what is the plight of spice board,” he wondered.
“Farmers are suffering in Kerala and this government is insensitive to problems of farmers in India,” he alleged.
Rakesh Sinha said that the government should identify the climatic zones across the country where agarwood can be grown. He demanded a strong policy to promote agarwood and grants for the same.
CPI (M) John Brittas also supported the bill and noted that the government needs to do more to improve the condition of the farmers in the country.
He added that the lopsided policies of the central government for the agri sector has prompted a BJP member to bring such a resolution and that the opposition wholeheartedly supports the bill.
Congress member Amee Yajnik also supported the bill saying there is a need to economically empower the farmers.
(Courtesy Tripura Times)
