Andhra Pradesh Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan’s initiative to ‘establish Craft Wood Banks’: A helping hand for toy artisans

Craft wood banks are being established—bamboo in Rajamahendravaram, Red Sanders in Tirupati, and Teak in Kapavaram. The Forest Department is preparing warehouses to store the timber, aiming to balance forest conservation with livelihood security and planning for the continuous supply of quality wood to traditional artisans.

Under the directives of the Deputy Chief Minister and Minister for Forest and Environment, Sri Pawan Kalyan, the Forest Department has initiated the establishment of wood banks. The goal is to ensure livelihood security for traditional artisans while prioritizing forest conservation.

In the first phase, craft wood banks will soon become operational across six clusters. Officials have already begun the process of identifying warehouses and procuring timber. These wood banks are being set up for wood-carving artisans in the regions of Kondapalli, Etikoppaka, Shettigunta, Madhavamala, Udayagiri, and Bobbili.

A central wood bank is being prepared at a sawmill near Dowleswaram in Rajamahendravaram to serve as a hub connecting all these locations. While putting the finishing touches on the warehouses required for timber storage, the Forest Department is simultaneously procuring the specific types of wood needed by the toy-making artisans. Sri Pawan Kalyan reviewed the progress of plans to establish ‘Craft Wood Banks’ with Forest Department officials. During the meeting, officials briefed the Deputy Chief Minister on the wood banks and timber stocks that are ready for inauguration.

In Kondapalli, NTR district, Forest Beat Officer quarters have been converted into a wood bank. The process of procuring ‘Tellaponiki’ wood—essential for Kondapalli toy makers—has commenced. Officials have also identified alternative soft wood species to ensure a continuous supply without causing inconvenience to the artisans.

Preparations are underway to rent a private commercial building and launch operations to provide immediate services to the Etikoppaka lac-toy artisans. Already, 1.5 cubic meters (1.5 CMT) of ‘Ankudu’ wood have been readied for sale to the wooden toy artisans there.

The Common Facility Centre belonging to the Lepakshi Handicrafts Society in Shettigunta, Annamayya district, has been designated as a Craft Wood Bank. Here, 50 cubic meters of teak and 150 cubic meters of non-teak wood have already been stocked for the artisans. It has also been decided to develop the old Red Sanders depot in Madhavamala, Tirupati district, into a wood bank for wooden toy artisans.

Red Sanders wood, in addition to traditional wood varieties, will be made available to them. For these artisans, 14.158 cubic meters of *Nariyepi* wood and 8.495 cubic meters of *Acacia catechu* wood have been procured. The existing Forest Range Officer quarters in Udayagiri have been converted into a wood bank. The Gollapalli Craft Development Centre has been identified for setting up a wood bank to support the artisans who craft Bobbili Veenas.

Forest officials stated that 15.66 cubic meters of Jackfruit and Rosewood are ready for them. Rosewood and Teak, along with bamboo poles, are available at the Rajamahendravaram Central Wood Bank. A wood bank supplying Teak and other timber is set to be established at Kapavaram in Eluru district, a place renowned for the manufacture of bullock carts.