The Hindu : Vigil on sandalwood oil units urged

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Apr 09, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Pondicherry

Vigil on sandalwood oil units urged

By Our Staff Reporter

Pondicherry April 8. Members in the Assembly urged the Government to moniter sources of sandalwood for sandal oil and powder manufacturing units.

The DMK member, S. P. Sivakumar raised the issue. There were several supplementaries with the members, A. Anbalagan (AIADMK), S.P.Sivakumar (DMK), R Siva (DMK), A.M. Krishnamoorthy( BJP), and V. Vaithilingam (Congress), insisting the Government to find the actual capacity of the mills and how much of sandalwood they were getting. When there was no sandal wood or tree in Pondicherry, how could the units get the sandalwood and was there any monitoring of the actual quantum of wood they were getting the members asked.

Intervening , the Speaker, M. D. R. Ramachandran, said a fullfledged enquiry would be held to find the facts. Earlier, the Agriculture Minister said there were four oil manufacturing units and two sandal powder production industries in Pondicherry.

Members alleged that sandalwood was being brought stealthily into Pondicherry from neighbouring States. The BJP member, Krishnamoorthy, said when a carpenter in Pillayarkupam applied for licence to the Forest Department to start a saw mill it was rejected. But how could a sandal oil manufacturing unit be started. The DMK member, Siva, said the Forest department was keen about pouncing upon those rearing pet animals and love birds but was not keeping vigil on the functioning of the sandal wood units.

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