After 24 years of its formation, Uttarakhand will soon have its own resin (liesa) policy, modeled after those of Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir. Forest Minister Subodh Uniyal issued directives to the forest department officials during a meeting at the Forest Headquarters, emphasizing the need to focus on the resin units in the hill regions while drafting the policy. In addition, the minister directed the establishment of depots in Uttarkashi, Bageshwar, and Almora to facilitate the operations of resin units in these areas.
During the meeting, it was highlighted that the guidelines for resin-related work have remained unchanged since the state’s days under Uttar Pradesh. However, with changing circumstances, the need for a new and updated policy has become imperative. The meeting also addressed issues regarding the stamp duty for resin, and the minister urged officials to expedite the resolution of pending cases. Furthermore, Uniyal suggested that the auction of resin should be conducted online to ensure transparency and efficiency.
The minister also called for considering measures to prevent resin theft, including implementing a minimum support price, creating a corpus fund, and exploring the possibility of advance auctions. He instructed officials to prepare the annual plantation and nursery plans in the prescribed format and seek technical approval from the competent authority. Uniyal further emphasized the importance of uploading all relevant information on the department’s website to make it accessible to the general public.
Additionally, the minister discussed the need to establish the State Forestry Council and the State-level Plantation Review Committee in line with the State Forest Policy of 2001 and the Plantation Policy of 2005. Chief Conservator of Forests Dr. Dhananjay Mohan, Chief Wildlife Conservator Sameer Sinha, and other senior officials like S.K. Singh were also present at the meeting.
