A division bench comprising of acting chief justice Ashok Bhushan and justice AM Shaffique considered a petition filed by former Parliament member PC Thomas.
The court directed the central government to take a decision on a representation filed by Thomas after seeking the views of the different ministries. In the representation, Thomas had sought the central government’s intervention in controlling the price drop of natural rubber produced in the country.
In the petition filed through advocate Rojo Joseph Thuruthipara, the former Parliament member had demanded that central government should take action to stop import of natural rubber, increase import tax on natural rubber to 40 per cent, and to fix minimum purchase price of natural rubber produced in the country at Rs200.
At the high court, Thomas had pointed out that central government’s decision to reduce import tax for natural rubber is against the report of a seven-member expert committee appointed as per a Delhi high court order in 2010.
It was also alleged that natural rubber is being imported in excess of the shortage in production in the country. Only one lakh tonnes of rubber need to be imported to address the difference between supply and demand of natural rubber in the country. However, half of the demand is being met through imported rubber since 2010, leaving rubber farmers in the country in severe financial crisis, the petition had said.
