Government of India’s Rs 26.04 Cr plan under National Bamboo mission awaited : Chander Kumar

Himachal Pradesh Government’s Rs 26.04 Cr annual action plan under National Bamboo Mission is awaiting approval from Government of India from the financial year 2022-23. Giving a reply this was stated by the Agriculture minister Chander Kumar while in written reply in the question hours. The member raising this query wanted to know if the government has any policy to impart training for self employment avenue and increase the  income of rural households and there by promoting this home based industry. 

 Replying to this query raised by Congress MLA Chandrashekhar (Dharampur) minister said that presently, the National Bamboo Mission scheme of the Government of India is being implemented by the Agriculture Department. The government is providing saplings to farmers for commercial production of bamboo. Minister informed the house that keeping in view the interests of the farmers, state forest department has removed the bamboo from scheduled species from the purview of Himachal Pradesh Soil Conservation Act, 1978 and Himachal Pradesh Soil Conservation Rules, 1983 on April, 20, 2017.   

As a result, farmers could produce bamboo in private land for self or commercial use. Since bamboo is out of the purview of Himachal Pradesh Forest Produce Transit (Land Rules) 2013, farmers are free to sell bamboo by taking it anywhere within or outside the state. The price of bamboo is determined by the laws of supply and demand in the market system. 

The minister said that to increase employment in this sector, farmers are being motivated for entrepreneurship by providing them training in making handloom, furniture, incense sticks etc. In the financial year 2022-23, the state has sent an annual action plan of Rs 26.04 crore to the Government of India, whose approval is still awaited. Minister also no study or survey was conducted by the government in state to find out the Bamboo production.