Yamunanagar: Haryana Vyapar Kalyan Board while organizing Haryana Plywood Conclave presided by Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khatter in which Kanwar Pal Gurjar state forest minster was chief guest a review was made to bring new life in collapsing Yamunanagar plywood industry in Haryana state having nearly a thousand manufacturing units in the town producing plywood board, saw mills as well as associated industries providing employment to thousands of workers. J.K. Biyani president of Yamunanagar Plywood Manufacturers Association told that the industry is presently doing export of plywood for value worth Rs 400 crore only as against expected amount worth Rs 5000 crore in case given assistance by the government. He said, plywood industry in the town is using hardly 30-40 % of their production capacity and facing severe slump since past few years.
While addressing a large gathering of plywood manufacturers in the area and traders from all over in the state, Chief Minister Khatter announced several schemes for welfare of plywood manufacturers as well as exporters in the town to bring identification to plywood industry like in past not only in the country but all over the world. He declared to waive of 2% market fee on manufacturing of plywood to be exported, which will be refunded to the manufacturers immediately after despatch. Announcing relief to plywood manufacturers in the state, Khatter announced rebate on electricity duty as well as on stamp duty, besides offering 1.5% subsidy for a period of 10 years to newly set up plywood industry in the district. Khatter said, Haryana state government will also provide benefit of value Rs 48000 annually to each youth employee originally hailing from Haryana state employed by the manufacturers.
Khatter said, Yamunanagar plywood industry may achieve lost identification by increasing exports for which state government has already prepared a road map. He said, in case of wood export Kerala state is leading in the country. Chander Mohan Patwari Industry Minister from Assam was also present at the occasion and suggested use of bamboo readily available in his state used as raw material in manufacture of plywood as an substitute for popular not easily available and being arranged by plywood manufacturers from other districts in the state as well as from U.P. Among other bureaucrats present in Conclave were senior officers from industry department in the state, Ministry of MSME, representatives from Indian Embassy in Thailand and Indian Embassy in Behran.
Khatter announced opening of first most awaited Forest Research Institute in Haryana state at Yamunanagar on which amount worth Rs 50 crore will be spent by the government since plywood manufacturers had to visit Forest Research Institute at Dehradun quite often to seek technical guidance. Plywood manufacturers said, Forest Research Institute at Yamumamagr will provide oxygen to collapsing Yamunanagar plywood industry. They told that earlier nearly 500 trucks containing plywood manufactured in the town were being despatched to other states daily, which have now been reduced to hardly 200-250 trucks at present and most of the migrant labourers from U.P, Bihar and M.P has started leaving for their home states in search of work.
