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New Delhi, December 30, 2023: For smooth transit of timber, bamboo, and other forest produce across the country as a part of the One Nation-One Pass system the Modi government has introduced the National Transit Pass System (NTPS).
Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav has launched the National Transit Pass System (NTPS)-‘One Nation-One Pass’ to facilitate the seamless transit of timber, bamboo, and other forest produce across the country.
NTPS will help strengthen the journey towards greater transparency said Yadav.
Currently, the transit permits are issued for transport of timber and forest produce based on state specific transit rules. The NTPS is envisioned as a “One Nation-One Pass” regime, which will enable seamless transit across the country.
This initiative will streamline the issuance of timber transit permits by providing a unified, online mode for tree growers and farmers involved in agroforestry across the country, contributing to the ease of doing business.
In order to create awareness and showcase the applicability and ease of using NTPS, special Pan Indian vehicles carrying forest produce were flagged-off by the Union Minister Bhupender Yadav yesterday. Two vehicles carrying timber and other forest produce from Gujarat and Jammu & Kashmir were flagged-off which are bound for West Bengal and Tamil Nadu. The QR coded transit permits generated under NTPS will allow check gates across various states to verify the validity of the permits and allow seamless transit.
Minister of State for Environment, Forest, and Climate Change Ashwini Kumar Choubey has emphasised that the NTPS is a game-changer for agroforestry and trees outside the forest.
Launched to streamline the transit of timber and other forest products, it is expected to enhance the ease of doing business in this sector.
Prior to the introduction of NTPS, obtaining transit permits from different states along the route was a time-consuming process, causing hurdles in transporting timber and forest products across the states. Each state has its own transit regulations which meant that in order to transport timber or forest produce across states, one was required to get a separate transit pass issued in each state. NTPS offers seamless transit permits, managing records for both inter-state and intra-state transportation of timber, bamboo and other forest produce obtained from various sources like private lands, government owned forest and private depots.
NTPS is designed for user convenience, featuring desktop and mobile applications for easy registration and permit applications. Transit permits will be issued for tree species which are regulated, while the users can self-generate No Objection Certificates for exempted species. Presently, 25 States and Union Territories have embraced the unified permit system, streamlining interstate business operations for producers, farmers, and transporters. This move is expected to provide a significant impetus to the agroforestry sector.
The NTPS can be accessed at https://ntps.nic.in, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change sources said.
