Pawan Kalyan demands Andhra Forest Department be made nodal agency for sale, export of Red Sanders

The deputy CM sought implementation of the recommendation of the Non-Detriment Finding (NDF) report that the Andhra Pradesh Forest Department be designated as the nodal agency for managing the auctioning of seized Red Sanders

Amaravati: Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan on Wednesday urged the Centre to appoint the Andhra Pradesh Forest Department (APFD) as the nodal agency for the sale and export of Red Sanders or Red Sandalwood.

He made the request during a meeting with Union Environment, Forest, and Climate Change Minister Bhupender Yadav in New Delhi. Pawan Kalyan, who holds the Environment and Forests portfolio, discussed with the Union Minister various issues related to the conservation of Red Sanders.

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He sought implementation of the recommendation of the Non-Detriment Finding (NDF) report that the Andhra Pradesh Forest Department be designated as the nodal agency for managing the auctioning of seized Red Sanders.

The Jana Sena leader also sought the Centre’s support for repatriating seized wood and formalising the APFD as the official nodal agency for the sale and export of Red Sanders. He called for steps to ensure uniform grading and higher revenue from Red Sanders.

Red Sanders is found in the Seshachalam, Veligonda, Lankamala, and Palakonda hill ranges of Andhra Pradesh, stretching across seven districts and into Tamil Nadu. Pawan Kalyan thanked Yadav for his time and support and sought his continued valuable cooperation in the future for the common objective of environmental protection.

In August, Pawan Kalyan had met Karnataka Forest Minister Eshwar B. Khandre and discussed the handing over of Red Sanders worth Rs 140 crore belonging to Andhra Pradesh and seized in the neighbouring state.

He was all praise for Karnataka forest officials for their honesty in declaring that the Red Sanders seized by them belonged to Andhra Pradesh. While Red Sander worth Rs.100 crore was seized in 2017, another Rs.40 crore worth Red Sanders was seized this year.

Rayalaseema region, bordering Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, is notorious for Red Sanders smuggling. Violent smuggling of Red Sanders was the theme of the 2021 blockbuster multilingual movie “Pushpa: The Rise” starring Tollywood actor Allu Arjun. The movie’s sequel “Pushpa 2: The Rule” is set for theatrical release on December 5.

Last year, India received the international green light to make the trading in plantations of Red Sanders by farmers legitimate after almost two decades.

The approval is expected to help end its smuggling to Japan, China, and other European countries and open a legal trade route. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), an international environmental conservation collective regulating wild trade, removed India from the list of ‘Review of Significant Trade in specimens (RST)’ for Red Sanders.

Following this move, India can promote the private plantation of Red Sanders and export it while conserving the naturally growing species. The rare wood has a huge demand globally. It is used in traditional medicines and woodcraft across China, Myanmar, Japan and other countries of East Asia.

It is also used in the United States and Europe for colouring alcoholic beverages, foodstuffs, and pharmaceutical products. The West Asian countries also import Red Sanders.