SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir Forest Development Corporation Limited (JK FDCL) has significantly strengthened the management and distribution of timber across the Union Territory, ensuring systematic revenue generation for the government while meeting the needs of local communities.
Before the creation of the JK State Forest Corporation, now FDCL, timber extraction was carried out by lessees under the supervision of the Forest Department. The corporation was established to institutionalize and professionalize the extraction, handling, and sale of timber as a commercial activity. It now serves as the government’s commercial arm for sustainable and scientific exploitation of forest resources, while maintaining supplies for bonafide beneficiaries.
According to official records, the territorial wing of the Forest Department has supplied 7,51,950 cubic feet of timber up to January 2026. The JK FDCL, through its 211 Forest Sales Depots, has supplied 15,63,571 cubic feet of timber, with 6,22,983 cubic feet still available for sale. Timber sanctions are issued from these depots on a first-come, first-served basis, and there is no moratorium on issuance under the FDCL system.
Under the Kashmir Forest Notice, where trees are sanctioned directly from the forest by the Divisional Forest Officer, no sanctions were issued from September 2025 due to a reconciliation and verification process, which has now been completed. Sanctioning has resumed, and records from the Langate Forest Division show that in the past three years, including the current financial year, 91 trees were sanctioned under this system, totaling 6,923 cubic feet and benefiting 91 individuals.
Officials emphasized that the establishment of the FDCL has streamlined timber extraction and sales, making the process more transparent and efficient, while ensuring that local demand is met in a regulated and sustainable manner.
