From Our Special Correspondent
NEW DELHI, Oct 2: In a significant development, the Ministry of DoNER has agreed to consider a proposal by the Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) for a common bamboo policy for all the eight Northeastern states.
The Ministry has asked the ICC to give a detailed report on the subject.
Issues like revision of the regulatory framework, a uniform policy, encouragement of private investment, and value-added production for international markets were also discussed during a meeting of a high-level delegation of the ICC with DoNER Secretary, Chanchal Kumar in New Delhi on Tuesday.
Carbon credits, promotion of bamboo products as alternatives to plastic, skill development, and establishment of a bamboo R&D centre were also discussed at the meeting.
Both the Ministry and ICC are committed to making the bamboo sector a vital contributor to the socio-economic development of the Northeastern states, ensuring that the benefits reach the local communities while promoting sustainability and innovation in the region.
The ICC delegation consisted of Sarat Kumar Jain, Chairman, ICC Assam and Meghalaya.
Incidentally, World Bamboo Day was celebrated on September 18 which highlighted the role of this now non-forest product in changing the rural livelihood and helping climate change.