Northeast states to be part of restructured National Bamboo Mission

Dimapur, Sep. 22 (EMN): Union Minister of State (Independent charge), Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Jitendra Singh on September 21 stated that the Restructured National Bamboo Mission(NBM) is being implemented in 23 states including North East States.

In a written reply in the Lok Sabha, he stated that for promotion of bamboo products, 172 processing units for value addition of bamboo, 97 primary processing units for management of bamboo waste and 746 micro/medium processing units have been approved from 2018-19 to August 31, 2020. Cane and Bamboo Technology Centre (CBTC) has formed 16 clusters in NE states, a PIB update informed.

‘During the last four years, Ministry of DoNER and NEC have sanctioned 17 projects costing INR 134 crore for development of bamboo in NE states, including a bamboo industrial park at Dima Hasao in Assam. Various agencies of Government of India like Cane and Bamboo Technology Centre, North Eastern Handicrafts and Handlooms Development Corporation Ltd. and National Bamboo Mission under Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare organise seminars, workshops and events for promotion of bamboo products,’ it read.

Restructured National Bamboo Mission launched in 2018-19 has inbuilt provision for intervention on marketing which includes e-trading. Various stakeholders are advised to use enam.gov.in and gem.gov.in portals for marketing and procurement or develop other effective online systems. 21 bamboo mandis (bamboo marketplace) have been approved for promotion and e-trading of bamboo from 2018-2019 to August 31, 2020 under National Bamboo Mission. Similarly, North Eastern Handicrafts and Handlooms Development Corporation Ltd. has also created its online shopping portal for promotion of bamboo, it added.