Latest news with #KSDL
Hans India
06-06-2025
- General
- Hans India
Sandalwood policy to be simplified soon: Eshwar Khandre
Mysore: The frontline staff of the department play a major role in forest, wildlife conservation and green development. It is not wrong to say that 21 percent of the forest remains in the state today due to their efforts, said Forest Ecology and Environment Minister Eshwar B Khandre. Speaking after distributing safety kits to the frontline staff of the Mysuru division of the Forest Department with the corporate responsibility support of Karnataka Soap and Detergent Limited (KSDL) under the Department of Industries, he said that the work being done by the frontline staff in preventing forest encroachment, extinguishing forest fires and preventing wildlife poaching is commendable. That is why, he said, he has ordered after becoming the minister to provide food allowance along with salary to the forest and forest wealth guarding staff, regardless of day or night, cold, rain or wind, and to provide an additional risk allowance of Rs 2,000 per month, and it is being implemented. Canteen for forest staff: There is a demand that canteen facilities be provided to forest staff similar to military and police personnel. He said that he has already appealed to the Chief Minister in this regard and that efforts will be made to extend the existing police canteen facility to forest staff as well. Karnataka has a rich forest region. The Western Ghats are a favorite destination for biodiversity. Its conservation and enhancement is the responsibility of all of us. He said that the frontline staff is doing the work of protecting it. Today, human-wildlife conflict is increasing and the forest area is decreasing. The government is working hard to increase the forest, and in the last 2 years, 15,000 acres of land has been newly notified as forest area. Eshwara Khandre said that more than 6,000 acres of forest encroachment worth thousands of crores of rupees have been cleared across the state, including 128 acres worth Rs 4,000 crore in Bengaluru. He said that a total of 120,975 hectares of plantations, 25 new Tree park and 35 Devara Kadu or Sacred Groves have been created during 2023-24 and 2024-25. The minister praised the Karnataka Soap and Detergents (KSDL) for providing safety kits containing bags, jars, shoes and water bottles to 10,000 frontline forest personnel across the state, and thanked Infrastructure Development Minister MB Patil and KSDL President CS Nadagowda for their role in this. Simplification of Sandalwood Policy: KSDL has advocated the need for sandalwood oil. Farmers in the state are also growing sandalwood. Sandalwood policy will be simplified and a notification will be issued soon to allow them to harvest and transport sandalwood. He said that the Forest Department will take steps to grow sandalwood trees in the plantation. Today, due to global warming and climate change, the rain that should fall in a month is falling in a week, a week's rain is falling in one day, creating a disaster. Therefore, we should emphasize on increasing the green area. We should grow trees, he said. Industries Minister M.B. Patil, legislator Yathindra Siddaramaiah, KSDL President C.S. Nadagowda, Chief Wildlife Warden and Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Subhash Malkade, APCCF Kumar Puskar, Wildlife Board Member Dhruva Patil and others participated in the program.
New Indian Express
05-06-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
Karnataka government plans amendments in a week to encourage sandalwood cultivation
MYSURU: Forest Minister Eshwar B Khandre on Wednesday announced that the state government will introduce amendments to existing laws and policies within a week to encourage private individuals to grow sandalwood trees. Addressing a programme held at the KSOU auditorium, where safety kits were distributed to forest guards and watchers under CSR funds from Karnataka Soaps and Detergents Limited (KSDL), Khandre acknowledged that existing regulations have posed challenges to sandalwood cultivation. 'We will amend the policies in the next week or 10 days to simplify the process. Along with this, sandalwood cultivation will be promoted on degraded forest land and lakhs of acres of unutilised land under the revenue department,' he said. Khandre also assured that all forest guards and watchers working in risk conditions will receive a monthly risk allowance of Rs 2,000. 'Currently, 2,007 forest guards are receiving the allowance, and we plan to extend it to all. Additionally, canteen facilities similar to those provided to police and defence personnel will be introduced for forest staff. Residential quarters and sufficient vehicles will also be provided,' he said. Highlighting the increasing human-wildlife conflict, Khandre said: 'Karnataka is home to 6,395 elephants, the highest in the country, and ranks second in tiger population. To mitigate conflicts, rail barricades are being installed along forest borders.' He further shared key achievements of the forest department, including the recovery of over 4,000 acres of forest land in Bengaluru and over 6,000 acres across the state. Around 15,000 acres of forest land have been added, 5,050 acres taken back from private entities, and Rs 5,000 crore worth land reclaimed from HMT. KSDL eyes Rs 5k cr revenues Industries Minister MB Patil said KSDL had been facing decline and corruption before the Congress government came to power, two years ago. 'Despite using the same staff and equipment, we implemented reforms that led to a 40% increase in production. Last year, KSDL generated Rs 414 crore in revenue. We aim to reach Rs 3,000 crore in two years and Rs 5,000 crore in five years,' he said. KSDL currently offers 23 products and is set to launch liquid soaps and distribute sandalwood hand soaps to government offices and student hostels. 'We have added 435 distributors, entered the e-commerce space, and started producing jasmine soap and perfumes to meet the growing demand,' he added.
Time of India
04-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Forest dept to simplify rules for growing sandalwood trees on pvt lands
Mysuru: With a view to encouraging farmers to grow sandalwood trees, the Karnataka forest department is contemplating simplifying rules to grow them on private lands, said forest minister Eshwar Khandre. Thanking Karnataka Soaps and Detergents Limited (KSDL) for distributing Suraksha kits containing a jacket, bag, and a pair of boots to forest watchers, forest guards, and elephant handlers under its CSR funds at an event at the KSOU auditorium here, the minister said the govt would make a decision in this regard within a week or two. In response to KSDL's request for support in growing more sandalwood trees on forest lands, Khandre replied positively, stating he would discuss it with forest officers and communicate with them. He also suggested approaching the revenue department, noting that there are many abandoned lands that can be utilised for this purpose. Earlier, KSDL chairman Appaji C S Nadagouda, an MLA, proposed to the forest department to have a memorandum of understanding to grow sandalwood trees on forest land, suggesting that they would bear the cost of growing provided they're given the land. KSDL would then buy the mature sandalwood trees from the forest department. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch vàng CFDs với mức chênh lệch giá thấp nhất IC Markets Đăng ký Undo He claimed sandalwood production declined over the decades and expressed the need for a policy to increase production. The chairman said that more than 90% of their products made of sandalwood are in demand without any marketing. About 82% of sales happen outside Karnataka, he said. KSDL reserved Rs 7 crore under CSR funds, of which Rs 2 crore was utilised to provide Suraksha Kits to nearly 10,000 forest personnel at the grassroots, including about 2,100 in the Mysuru forest division. On the occasion, the chairman also revealed plans to expand its business and increase its revenue to Rs 3,000 crore in the next few years. In the previous fiscal year, KSDL earned about Rs 410 crore in revenue. Minister Khandre also appreciated wildlife photographer and minister MB Patil's son, Dhruv Patil, who is also a member of the State Wildlife Board, for his concern towards forest watchers and guards. Minister for large and medium industries and infrastructure development MB Patil remembered Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar on his birth anniversary and for his vision of setting up sandalwood soap industries a century ago, in 1916. He said Mysuru sandal products are popular worldwide. KSDL team to visit Australia KSDL officers, led by its chairman Nadagouda, will be visiting Australia to study the strategies adopted to grow more sandal trees. "Australia has been successfully producing sandal trees, and we want to study it and how successful they have been in making byproducts. The team will leave for Australia next week," he said. MLC Yathindra Siddaramaiah and senior Karnataka forest officers, including PCCF (wildlife) Subash Malkhede and PCCF Kumar Pushakar, were present.
Deccan Herald
04-06-2025
- Business
- Deccan Herald
After Tamannaah row, KSDL clocks Rs 186 cr in monthly sales
The KSDL now aims to scale up its annual export revenue to Rs 150 crore.
Time of India
03-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
10k foresters in Karnataka to receive KSDL kits
Mysuru: In recognition of their role in forest protection, 10,000 forest guards/watchers, mahouts, and drivers in Karnataka will receive quality kits containing a bag, jerkin, shoes, and a water bottle from Karnataka Soaps and Detergents Limited (KSDL). The first event of this CSR initiative will be held at the convocation hall of Karnataka State Open University in Mysuru on Wednesday, stated large and medium industries minister MB Patil in a release. The minister said that KSDL's CSR fund of Rs 2 crore for the 2024-25 fiscal year was utilised to purchase these kits. The essential ingredient for KSDL's flagship product, Mysore Sandal soap, is sandalwood oil. Forest guards are the protectors of this resource, and this initiative reflects our concern for them, he said. The kits will be distributed to 2,168 personnel from the forest divisions of Chamarajanagar and Mysuru districts. Forest minister Eshwar Khandre and KSDL chairman CS Nadagouda, along with local representatives, will be present during the event. Patil mentioned that kits will also be distributed to staff working in other forest areas in Karnataka in the coming days. Measurements were taken in advance from each recipient to purchase the jerkins and shoes. Among them, 5,000 are permanent staff, while the rest work on a temporary basis. Ensuring their welfare is our responsibility, he said.
