Union Budget to revive Bamboo Mission

After a gap of nearly two years, the Union  Budget 2005-06 will see allocations for the BamboO Mission as a means of sustained employment. The National Mission on Bamboo Technology and Trade Development was a programme initiated by the NDA government. The project had been gathering dust. Reliable sources indicate that the new Budget could provide an allocation of Rs. 200 crore for the programme.

The Budget would provide a mix of generating sustained employment with ad-hoc employment generation to get over a chronic problem facing the country. A national levet strategic perspective and action plan for the development of the bamboo sector is regarded as the need of the hour.

It is estimated by the International Network for Bamboo and Rattan (INBAR) that the total world market of bamboo in value terms is ten billion dollars, that is, Rs. 50,000 crore. The total size of the bamboo industry in India is estimated by UNIDO to be Rs. 6,505 crore in 2004.

It is further estimated by the UNIDO that the Bamboo Industry in India can grow to Rs. 16,000 crore by the end of the 11th Plan and to Rs. 26,000 crore by 2015. The highest growth is expected in the new generation bamboo products which would be technology driven.

There is a strong view in the Government that with necessary technology and trade development support, efforts can be made to achieve the target of Rs. 26,000 crore by the end of 11th Plan itself.

At present, bamboo is being used as low value product without adequate technology support and therefore the wastage is more. Traditional knowledge and skills of artisans working with bamboo have not been upgraded and the industries utilising bamboo are still functioning the old way. The resultant effect is that value addition does not commensurate to the labour put in.

Experts are of the view that several steps are required to overcome this problem. These are up gradation of traditional skills, making pack flat furniture, developing the designs and products, technology support for providing new products, up gradation of machinery and tools for enhanced production and efficiency; bamboo steel scaffolding and development to avoid tension-induced buckling, development of various food products from bamboo shoots and manufacturing activated carbon from lops and tops.

Experts say the main segment of bamboo based employment generation would be handicrafts. It is estimated that at present about ten million people are dependent on bamboo for their livelihood in the handicrafts sector. Their involvement is seasonal and wages earned from the activity is quite low categorising the majority of them as Below Poverty Line.

Two million people from the segment with re-training and orientation would be provided with gainful employment Additional three million employment would be generated under various handicraft business mainly in the rural areas_