The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Job potential in bamboo-based products promising: YSR

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Feb 21, 2005

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Job potential in bamboo-based products promising: YSR

By Our Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD, FEB. 20. The Chief Minister, Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy, said that there was vast potential for employment generation in the rural areas if the poor are properly trained to manufacture bamboo-based products.

Speaking at the valedictory session of the two-day workshop on `Bamboo for livelihoods' organised by the State's Forest Department on Sunday, Dr. Reddy said value addition to bamboo products would ensure more work and an increase in income. The Centre had assured all promise to encourage bamboo-based industries in the State.

He said a couple of industrialists had evinced interest in setting up industries in the State following the availability of bamboo trees. He said the Government would do everything to encourage the industries.

Sustainable employment

The Chief Secretary, Mohan Kanda, said the Chief Minister's priority was to create durable and sustainable employment for people. The growth rate in the agriculture sector had remained stagnant.

The Advisor to the Planning Commission (Environment and Forests), R. Mandal, said the Centre had plans to spend Rs. 500 crores in the next two years in the country to develop bamboo-based industries and its products.

Promising programme

Parmesh Shah of the World Bank said that manufacture of bamboo products would become the largest poverty-alleviation programme. There was scope for employment generation to the tune of Rs. 100 crores, he added. The Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, S. K. Das, spoke. Principal Secretary (Environment and Forests), T. Chatterji, was present.

The Chief Minister released a book `Light at the end of the tunnel' containing success stories of Vana Samarakshana Samitis to achieve poverty-alleviation through sustainable management of forests.

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