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Delay in bamboo cutting operation worries tribals

BERHAMPUR: Tribal bamboo cutters living inside jungles of the State are worried over the delay in the start of bamboo cutting operation this year.

Around 65,000 tribals earn their living for six months through bamboo cutting operations inside the forests in Orissa. Bamboo cutting takes place at 325 units. Usually the bamboo cutting work begins on October 1. But this year it has not started till date. Two paper mills of the State manage this bamboo cutting work with the help of the Orissa Forest Development Corporation. But the paper mills signed their agreement with the State government only on November 20.

Bamboo cutting work could have been started from November 21 after signing of the agreement. But it could not be started due objections raised by the Central Forest Department, said Dandapani Mohanty, general secretary of the Orissa Forest Mazdoor Union (OFMU).

According to him, the Central Government raised objection over non-utilisation of funds by Orissa’s forest department for re-plantation of bamboo.

As per the norms the State government should have utilised 20 per cent of the royalty that it received from bamboo cutting from forests for plantation of new bamboo bushes. The State government has not invested any amount out of its royalty for planting bamboo in jungles, alleges Mr. Mohanty. The OFMU has urged the State government to settle the disputes with centre as early as possible so that bamboo cutting could be started in forests to provide the much-needed income source to tribals.

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