State decides to waive transit firewood collection fee after activists, tribals protest

RANCHI: Amid mounting pressure from tribal groups and forest right activists, the state government on Friday declared to shelve the proposal of levying transit fee on firewood harvested from forest land.

As per the new state forest produce transit rules of 2020, which was passed in the Cabinet on June 17 and notified on June 29, the state government had fixed Rs 25 per cubic meter transit fee on fire wood.

However, forest right activists, tribal groups and forest dwellers protested the transit fee, arguing that it would affect the livelihood of forest dwellers and tribals.

“The government has decided to exempt the transit fee on firewood,” said state forest secretary AP Singh.

The rules clearly mention that no fee would be charged on firewood from forest dwellers, he said, adding that the firewood, however, cannot be used for commercial purposes.

“We will formulate the rules again after properly examining it,” Singh said.

When asked if the government will not levy revenue on firewood even for commercial use, he said, “We will discuss how to deal with the firewood, which would be generated after forest land diversion, and then formulate the new rules.”

He said they had amended the transit rules to regulate the trade of forest produces and make it more transparent. Earlier, minerals were not included in the rules. “We have included it through an amendment and fixed certain fees on them,” he said.

As per the new rules, the forest department will levy Rs 57 per metric tonne transit fee on limestone, dolomite, fire-clay, manganese, copper and iron ores, coal, bauxite, quartz, silica sand, gold ore, rock phosphate, kainite and others, while Rs 35 per cubic meter has been fixed for granite, marble, stone chips, stones, sand and soil, and Rs 100 per cubic meter for timber.

“Earlier, transit permit was required for these items but there was negligible fee levied on them,” Singh said.

The forest rights activists welcomed the government’s decision. Sudhir Pal, convener of Jharkhand Vanadhikar Manch (JVM), said, “The forest department has brought the rules surpassing the Forest Right Rules, 2012, which says the power of issuing transit permit of minor forest produce lies with the Gram Sabha.”