GUWAHATI: DoNER minister and vice-chairman of North Eastern Council, Jitendra Singh inaugurated the cane and bamboo technology park-cum-office premises of Cane and Bamboo Technology Centre (CBTC) at Burnihat, Assam on Tuesday.
Addressing a function on the occasion, Singh said bamboo is one of the unexplored potential resources in the Northeast with more than 50 per cent of the country’s bamboo found in the region.
The minister said it was imperative to capture the market for bamboo-based products across the country.
Singh urged the youth of the region to utilise the home-grown bamboo to produce different commodities which will help them earn their livelihood.
“The North Eastern Council (NEC) and the DoNER ministry will be always there to help facilitate marketing of the commodities beyond Northeast, the minister said.
Singh also visited the cane and bamboo technology workshop and the product stalls within the compound of the park.
Speaking on the occasion, North Eastern Council secretary and CBTC and chairman, Ram Muivah said the cane and bamboo technology park was a long awaited dream which has materialised.
“From last year, bamboo has been one of the focus areas of NEC. We have several plans for upgrade of the CBTC,” Muivah said.
CBTC was established in Guwahati in August 2000 as a centre/secretariat for “Cane and Bamboo Technological Upgrade and Networking Project” implemented by NEDFi under the UNIDO country programme for India.
The centre has so far trained more than 5400 artisans, students, farmers and entrepreneurs of Northeastern region as well as foreign countries in the field of cane and bamboo technology.