In order to provide various central and state incentives to the declining bat industry of Kashmir, Forest Department has recommended the willow bat manufacturing areas to be notified as an industrial zone.
As per recommendations of the forest officials, 500 metersalong each side of Jammu-Srinagar national highway in the forest area of batmaking cluster from Donipora Sangam to Jawbara Awantipora being givenindustrial status to help declining bat making units witness revival.
“A joint inspection of the entire cluster area was carriedout. Upon interaction with the unit holders of decades old cricket batmanufacturing factories equipped with all types of primary wood-based machinesand hand tools, it has been found that the industry exists without any validlicenses under SRO 103 of 2012/DIC registrations and are reportedly renderedineligible for receiving promotional incentives from the centre as well asstate governments leading to illegal export of clefts to rest of the country,”read a recommendation letter to Chief Conservator Forests.
As per an official, decision to recommend denotification ofthe bat producing hub from the forest department and its recognition asindustrial zone was taken after a joint survey of the Forest Department andDepartment of Industries and Commerce of the area recently.
“The District Industries Centres Anantnag and Pulwama havefurnished list of registered units falling under the respective territorialjurisdiction numbering 261 which is apart of the units still unregistered. The entire area in question hasspontaneously developed into a natural cluster and abounds with the cricket batmanufacturing units with widespread skill using only willow(Salixilbavar)species or raw material,” read the letter.
As per the official, during the course of field inspectionof the bat production area, a large number of local population including unitholders, saw mill owners, skilled workers, next-generation entrepreneurs andunemployed youth approached government urging to notify the area as anindustrial zone. “This will help their enterprises to be registered with theForest Department as well as the Industries and Commerce Department,” he said.
Recently Principal Secretary Industries and Commercedepartment, Navin Kumar Choudhary visited the bat cluster at Sethar village. Heinteracted with the bat manufacturers who requested the Principal Secretary toensure that the cluster gets denotified by the Forest Department. The bat unitholders also apprised Principal Secretary about the problems faced by them.Principal secretary had assured that he will pursue the matter ofde-notification with the forest department. Principal Secretary furtherdirected streamlining CFC Bat Cluster which suffered damage in 2014 floods. He directedSICOP authorities to expedite the renovation process and emphasised upon theunit holders to form a cooperative to run the CFC post restoration. A team ofofficials representing union ministry for Medium Small and Micro Enterprises (MSME) had also recently visited the Valley to find ways in which support couldbe extended to the bat industry. Meerut-based Process-cum-Product DevelopmentCentre (PPDC) is in process of providing hand-holding support to MSMES in batproduction.