KOZHIKODE: The number of retail timber merchants with property mark registration has decreased to an all-time low this year because many of them have lost their licence due to space constraints in storing wood. While the number of retail timber merchants in Kallayi was 377 during 1996-97, it has come down to 10 this year. “Retail merchants are not able to stock wood, due to the new rules imposed by the government. Now, property mark registration has been made mandatory for timber traders who want to store their timber load,” said P. V. Lakshmanan, former general secretary of Timber Merchants Association.
Earlier, the timber traders at Kallai used the banks of Kallai River as their timber yard. Timber trade at Kallayi was instrumental in the construction of India’s rail network, supplying teak sleepers to the Railways. About 99 percent of the timber traders in Kallayi may not be able to meet the requirements that are now demanded for getting the property mark registration. As per the rules, a timber saw mill owner can allow one timber trader to use his premises as a timber yard to get the property mark registration.
The government has introduced most of these new rules to regularise the trade at Kallayi and also to plug the blackmarket of timber that are causing huge losses to the government exchequer. However, timber merchants say that governments had been ignoring their suggestions to improve tax collection and instead have initiated steps that could only harm the trade. Mr Lakshmanan added that merchants were struggling to stick to their traditional business and only a few could withstand other trade including the furniture business. He alleged that government schemes to support the trade were only helping the timber industry.
