National Conference on Bamboo  (July 12-13, 2011)

A two days “National Conference on Cluster Development of Bamboo Products- A Way to Inclusive Growth” was held on July 12-13, 2011 in Hotel Golden Tulip, Raipur. The conference was attended by Dignitaries, Policy Makers, Artisans, Forest Officials, R & D Institutions, Development Agencies, Banks & Financing Institutions, Bamboo Growers, Machinery Manufacturers and Entrepreneurs. The dignitaries who participated in the conference were Shri Jitendra Choudhary, Minister of Forest, Rural Development, Industries & Commerce, Govt. of Tripura, Shri Vikram Usendi, Minister of Forest & Environment, Govt. of Chhattisgarh, Shri Narayan Singh, ACS, Govt. of Chhattisgarh, Shri Dhirendra Sharma, PCCF, Govt. of Chhattisgarh, Shri Kameshwar Ojha, DDG, National Bamboo Mission, Govt. of  India among others who made the presentations are Shri Diwakar Mishra, CCF & Mission Director, Govt. of Chhattisgarh, Shri Rakesh Kumar, Executive Director, Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts, Shri M.M. Jalan, CMD, APIL, Prof. A.G. Rao, IIT Mumbai and experts from Jindal Steel & Power, Essar, NABARD, SFRI, TRIFED, NMBA, INBAR and Forest Deptt., Govt. of Chhattisgarh made the presentations on various topics related with bamboo cultivation, capacity building, policy issues, repositioning of bamboo crafts, domestic and international business opportunities.

Officials from corporate like Jindal Steel & Power and Essar expressed their willingness to work in collaboration with Department of Forest, Govt. of Chhattisgarh and Bhaskar Foundation for capacity building and training of bamboo artisans.

More than 300 delegates from Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Assam, Tripura, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh attended the conference. Exhibitions of bamboo products made by artisans was organised alongwith the conference wherein bamboo products like furniture, wall hangings, bamboo jwellary, decorative items and other varieties of utility and decorative items were displayed.