Willow clefts being smuggled to other states from Kashmir,FCIK

Srinagar, Feb 20 (UNI) Concerned over the smuggling of willow clefts to other states from the Kashmir valley, the Federation Chamber of Industries Kashmir (FCIK) has urged the state government to legalise the trade for promoting cricket bat industry and earning revenue.

Expressing its dismay over the the governments failure to come to the rescue of local bat manufacturers, the FCIK during a meeting with Cricket Bat Manufacturers Association Kashmir (CBMA), alleged that government was encouraging smuggling of willow clefts to other states at the cost of local traders.

The meeting told that cricket industry of Jalandhar and Meerut, which caters 90 per cent of the national need of cricket bats, is said to have been importing clefts from the valley through illegal means.

It said that the cricket bat industry of Jalandhar and Meerut on an average produces around two crores bat annually with the raw material mostly coming from the valley.

State government provides two lakh clefts to these units for export promotion, rest of the quantity is being smuggled into these states from the valley.

The FCIK has asked the government to legalise the exports with a levy of Rs 100 per cleft so that state would earn revenue.

The meeting also observed with pain that the sports goods complex at Bijbehra in south Kashmir was still under the occupation of security forces.

UNI