Union Surface Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari on Friday stressing the need of giving fillip to bamboo cultivation in the country said that bamboo cultivation will not only give a big push to agriculture and rural economy but would also provide employment to lakhs of unemployed youths and checkmate migration of rural population to the cities.
While presiding over the first Global Bamboo Summit here on Friday, Gadkari said bamboo based economy will play a pivotal role in bridging rural and urban economy and will help redress pressing issues of poverty, hunger and unemployment.
The union minister said that his ministry has embarked upon a mammoth of developing green highways across the country wherein the government by involving both private, government bodies, academic institutions, trusts, NGOs will plant bamboo and other trees on both sides of 96,000 long national highways.
He said the government has already made adequate provision of funds for this purpose. Talking about various utilities and benefits of bamboo cultivation, Gadkari said bamboo cultivation will also help production of bio fuel. We can produce ethanol and CNG from bamboos and will save huge foreign exchequer which we spend on import of petrol
Stressing the need of rise in area under bamboo cultivation, the minister said we need to lay more stress on research works on productivity, designing and marketing aspects of bamboo so as to make its cultivation more employment oriented.
Gadkari said that excellent work is being done in Madhya Pradesh for bamboo and its value-added products. He said that biggest matters of concern facing India are exodus of people from villages to cities due to poverty and unemployment.
These problems can be addressed by promoting handicraft along with agriculture. Gap between villages and cities can also be bridged. Bamboo sector is witnessing considerable progress. Employment can be given to people by increasing bamboo production.
He stressed the need for preparing new designs of bamboo products with the help of expert institutions. The Central government has decided to construct green highways. For this, one percent of total project cost will be spent on plantation and beautification.