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Bamboo cutters threaten stir

BERHAMPUR: The Orissa Forest Mazdoor Union (OFMU) has threatened to start agitation all over the State if the bamboo cutting operation was not started in the jungles within a week.

The OFMU also demanded the Chief Minister to initiate an inquiry to find out the reasons and erring authorities due to which the recommendations of the empowered committee for bamboo cutting could not be implemented in the State. The OFMU has started organising thousands of tribals and dalits involved in bamboo cutting in the State for the proposed stir in demand of start of bamboo cutting operation.

Dandapani Mohanty, the general secretary of OFMU, alleged that the State government was showing callousness towards the problem of poor bamboo cutters. According to him the bamboo-cutting season was to start in October in 325 bamboo forests of the State, It would have created eight lakh man-days for the labour force living in remote forest areas. But two paper mills of the State have not yet started the bamboo cutting work. Due to it 65,000 tribal and dalit bamboo cutters were deprived of employment. Usually bamboo cutting continues till end of June. Mr. Mohanty also demanded the State government to initiate a food-for-work programme for the bamboo cutters on the lines of UN Food Programme for them which has now been shelved.

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