Timber to go under the hammer

DFO, Logging division, K Rajasekhar Rao says quality teak, rosewood, bamboo, chinduga and yegisa will be up for sale. Urges the builders and sawmill owners to procure first quality teak. Auction will be held twice in February and March

Rajahmundry: Quality timber worth Rs 8 crore is ready for sale in government timber depots which are being run by the forest department in the district, DFO, Logging division, K Rajasekhar Rao said here on Thursday. Timber would be put on sale through auctions every month and this time around, timber will go under the hammer twice in the months of February and March, he added. He maintained that the forest department is expecting to garner Rs 6 crore through the same.

Speaking to the media, Rajasekhar called upon the people, sawmill owners, apartment builders and furniture makers to make use of this opportunity and purchase quality timber. He explained that the government timber depots are at Dowleswaram road in Rajahmundry and Addatheegala and Sudikonda in Gokavaram mandals.

In the months of February and March, he informed that auctions will be held on 4th and 21st in Rajahmundry depot and on 7th and 18th in Sudikonda and 23rd in Addatheegala timber depot. He maintained that quality teak, rosewood, bamboo, chinduga, yegisa and maddi are available in depots.

He further said that timber extracted from the government plantations and timber seized by Vana Samrakshana Samithis besides timber procured from Godavari during floods will be up for sale. He added that price of the logs would be fixed based on the average from the last three auctions. Stating that the price would be fixed as per categorisation of timber, he announced that interested persons can take part in the auction by paying a deposit of Rs 5,000.