The state of West Bengal has a recorded forest area of 11,879 sq.km., of which 7,054 sq.km. is Reserved Forest, 3,772 sq.km. is Protected Forest and 1,053 sq.km. is Unclassed State Forest, thus constituting 13.38% of the geographical area of the state. Timber is always in demand in West Bengal like other States of West Bengal, the source being harvesting of mature trees from plantations raised both in forest and non-forest areas. To deal with the situation, Forest Department have been taking up constant effort to increase the forest and tree cover through promotion of Social Forestry, Farm Forestry, Agro Forestry, Community Forestry and Afforestation on wasteland, panchayat land, private land, tea gardens, canal banks, roadside and other available areas outside the notified forest areas. There has also been a conscious effort to enhance the forest productivity by improvement of planting stock through Modern Nursery raised Hycopot seedlings and by using Clonal technology in plantation raised inside and outside the notified forest areas. Thus the vegetation cover of the state has come to around 21.39% of the geographical area which includes village orchards / groves, tea garden and horticulture plantations other than the notified forest areas. In the state establishment of new saw mills and other wood based industries are regulated by The West Bengal Forest(Establishment and Regulation of Saw Mills and other Wood Based Industries )Rules, 1982. As per direction of Hon’ble Supreme Court in Godavarman case WP no. 202 of 1995,the number of licenses which may be issued to General Category Saw Mill had been linked with wood balance study . In the said case Central Empowered Committee(CEC) had been assigned the authority by the Hon' ble Supreme Court to look into issuance of new license as well as to guide the State Governments in issues which come up regularly regarding running of wood based industries. Later CEC directed that for better functioning about the issue all the State Governments will constitute State Level Committees for Wood Based Industries. Thus SLC was reconstituted in West Bengal vide. Govt. order No: 4140-For dated 02.12.2016 as per guidelines of MOEF&CC issued in 2016. There are defined powers of State Level Committee which are mandated in the said notification.