BHUBANESWAR: The State-level executive committee on restructured National Bamboo Mission under National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA) on Tuesday approved an annual action plan of Rs 27.33 crore for development of bamboo sector.
“The main objective is to increase the area under bamboo plantation in non-forest Government and private land for supplementing farm income, contributing towards climate change resilience and making available the quality raw material for industries,” said State Mission Director, Odisha Bamboo Development Agency (OBDA) AK Pathak after the meeting.
It will be promoted predominantly in private land, community lands, arable wastelands, along irrigation canals and water bodies, he added. “It has been decided that only commercially viable species like Tulda, Vulgaries and Nutons would be planted. Farmers and artisans would be motivated to take up the bamboo plantation,” he said.
Financial assistance of Rs 50,000 per hectare will be provided for bamboo plantation and growing over a period of three years. Around 417 seedlings will be planted in one-hectare land. Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF) Sandeep Tripathy said bamboo cultivation has increased from 11.2 lakh hectare in 2017-18 to 14 lakh hectare in 2018-19.
The meeting, chaired by Chief Secretary Asit Tripathy, further decided that quality planting materials will be developed by OBDA and other forest nurseries for supply to the farmers. The Chief Secretary asked OBDA to intensify field-level operations involving Vana Sanrakshyna Samitis (VSS), Joint Forest Management Committees (JMFC), Eco-Development Committees and Farmers’ Clubs. He also directed for independent third party evaluation of the project after one year.
Principal Secretary Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment Sourav Garg, Principal Secretary in Finance Department Ashok Kumar Meena, Principal Secretary in Forest and Environment Department Mona Sharma and other senior officers from departments concerned participated in deliberations.