Bill easing curbs on cutting sandalwood trees gets Governor’s approval

The Kerala (Forest) Amendment Bill which relaxes restrictions on cutting sandal trees on private plots has received the assent of Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, Forest Minister A.K. Saseendran said on Thursday.

The amendment will lead to an increase in sandalwood cultivation in the State, bringing economic benefits to the farmers, Mr. Saseendran said. The amendment Bill, which was passed by the Assembly earlier and sent to the Governor for his assent, eases the restrictions on cutting sandal trees on private lands and grants permission to the landowners to sell their sandal trees through the Forest department.

Sandal trees are a major focus in the ‘Tree Banking’ scheme launched by the government for enhancing tree cover on private properties, the Minister said.

Current situation

At present, landowners are not permitted to cut and sell sandal trees on their properties. Permission is granted to cut only those trees that are either old or posing danger. Even then, the condition is that a committee has to inspect the premises and give its approval.

There also exists a situation where cases are registered against the landowner in the event of the theft of sandal trees. Through the amendment, the government has provided avenues for settling minor offences by remitting a fine, but with the consent of the court.