(MENAFN- IANS) New Delhi, Oct 15 (IANS) The Report of the Sandalwood Development Committee was launched at an event held on Wednesday in New Delhi. The report launching event was sponsored by the Federation of Indian Plywood and Panel Industry (FIPPI).

Ratan P. Watal, Former Finance Secretary, Government of India, chaired the launching event and apart from representatives of the concerned central government ministries/departments, Rajesh Mittal, C&MD, Green Ply Industries Limited and President, FIPPI also attended the event.

The Sandalwood Development Committee was chaired by the Former Finance Secretary of the Government of India, Ratan Prakash Watal. Representatives of all the concerned ministries/departments, such as the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, the Ministry of Commerce, the Ministry of Ayush, and the National Medicinal Plants Board of the Government of India are members of this committee. Representatives of the Institute of Wood Science and Technology, Bengaluru and Forest College and Research Institute of the Tamil Nadu Agriculture University are also represented in this committee.

“Farming of sandalwood can act as a platform for rural employment generation and significant foreign exchange generation through exports of sandalwood and its various other by-products. India can be Atmanirbhar while meeting the sandalwood needs of our society in the present and in the future. Several measures and reforms would be required to be undertaken by the Central and State Governments to regain the past glory of Indian Sandalwood,” said an official statement.

To identify the issues and make recommendations for the development of sandalwood in the country, Watal took the initiative in constituting this inter-ministerial Sandalwood Development Committee.

The committee held extensive consultations with diverse stakeholders, including the forest departments of the major state governments and recommended a wide range of measures in its report for the development of sandalwood in India and to regain the past glory.

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