Govt to hold bamboo exhibition in Jammu to replicate NE model

The Centre will hold an exhibition on bamboo in Jammu next month, aiming to replicate the successful model being adopted in the North East to market its products.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the Ministry of the Development of the North Eastern Region (DoNER), chaired by its minister Jitendra Singh.

During the meeting, he said the North Eastern Council (NEC), the Ministry of DoNER, in collaboration with the Jammu and Kashmir administration will organise a workshop-cum-exhibition on 'Bamboo - A wonder grass: Opportunity for Sustainable Development in Jobs' in Jammu in January, an official statement said.

The workshop-cum-exhibition is being organised through Cane and Bamboo Technology Centre (CBTC), Assam and Department of Social-Forestry of the Jammu and Kashmir administration. The workshop will focus on the North East experience with bamboo in the Union Territory, the statement said.

The minister said the development of the northeastern region has been on the priority of the Narendra Modi government.

He said the experience of NE states will help the artisans of UT of Jammu and Kashmir. This will help them in their economic development and job opportunities, he said.

Singh said this will also assist in commercial exploitation of bamboo grown in this region.

A bamboo industrial park has already been approved to be set up in the Dima Hasao district of Assam, he said.

Besides, it was informed in the meeting that nearly 65 per cent of the Ministry of DoNER budget for the current financial year has already been spent, the statement said.

The possibility of providing digital or virtual classrooms in various districts of the northeastern states was also discussed in the meeting.

Singh said it is an initiative towards digitisation of the North East.

During the meeting, the status of the JNU hostel, Dwarka and Rohini projects for the students and people of the North East was also discussed.