THE Nagaland Government has formulated the state bamboo policy in a recent cabinet meeting and decided to set up a bamboo development agency to achieve the objectives outlined in the policy in close conjunction with the National Bamboo Mission. Nagaland agriculture production commissioner Alemtemshi Jamir, who is also the team leader of the Nagaland Empowerment of People through Economic Development (NEPED), said the government had decided to establish a bamboo institute at Dimapur for which a major share of the Rs five crore, announced by the Prime Minister for the development of bamboo, would be spent.

The Nagaland bamboo agency would be headed by the Chief Minister and it would set the guidelines for various taskforces. The government had decided to provide an annual budget and explore the possibilities of funding various projects identified by the task forces. It would also review various incentive programmes for the development and promotion of bamboo as a resource and enterprise in the State. The NEPED also decided to provide bamboo processing machines in some parts of the state, through which bamboo would be proccessed for the paper mills, the commissioner said adding that Nagaland has 17 species of recorded bamboo but the figure might go up if a thorough survey was carried out. It is heartening that the Nagaland  has taken steps to generate resources basesd on its natural resources. If the project is implemented properly, it will certainly help the State in its effort of economic development.

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