Timber Distribution Scheme (TDS) in Himachal Pradesh - Issues and Perspectives

Since the time the forests of Himachal Pradesh have been taken up for management by the erstwhile British Government in the pre-independence period , the local people have been granted some rights out of the forests of the nearby areas to meet their genuine requirements. As per the settlement of Anderson in 1915 these rights under the Timber Distribution Scheme (TDS) included the provision of timber trees for over a fixed period of time for the repair and construction of houses , fuel wood during celebrations and festivals , repair of temples (Devtaa rights) , timber for the repair of bridges , etc. , subject to the payment of a token amount in certain cases as may be applicable. However , over the past few years , the population has increased greatly while at the same time , the TDS policies have not been revised. As a result , this has created tremendous pressure on the meagre forest resources that are existing at present. This paper attempts to highlight certain important issues related to TDS in Himachal Pradesh.