The Union Minister launches the National Transit Pass System (NTPS)-‘One Nation-One Pass’.
- It is under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change to facilitate the seamless transit of timber, bamboo, and other Minor Forest Produce (MFP) across the country.
- Currently, transit permits are issued for the transport of timber and forest produce based on state-specific transit rules.
- NTPS enables managing records for both inter-state and intra-state transportation of timber, bamboo, and MFP from private lands/government/private depots.
- States have exempted some species grown on private land from the purview of transit permits, to transport these species No Objection Certificate is provided.
Benefits of NTPS:
- Will contribute to ease of doing business by streamlining the issuance of transit permits by providing a unified, online mode across the country.
- Provide a significant impetus to the agroforestry sector.
- Saving transportation costs and time, and Seamless movement across state borders.
- Under the Forest Rights Act (FRA) of 2006, MFP includes all non-timber forest produce of plant origin including bamboo, brushwood, stumps, etc.
- The forest dwellers are legally empowered with the ownership and governance of the MFP through the Panchayat Extension to Scheduled Areas Act, 1996, and FRA, 2006.
Other Initiatives To Promote Forest Produce and MFP
- Pradhan Mantri Van Dhan Yojana focuses on developing value chains for forest-based products and enhancing income of tribals.
- Indian Forest and Wood Certification Scheme designed to promote sustainable forest management and agroforestry
- Marketing of MFP through Minimum Support Price (MSP) & Development of Value Chain for MFP.
