Question : NATIONAL MISSION ON BAMBOO APPLICATIONS

(a) the details of the projects funded by the National Mission on Bamboo Applications (NMBA) alongwith the funds released during the last three years and the current year, organisation-wise and project-wise:

(b) whether the Government grants financial assistance to the Bamboo Handicrafts Units and Common Facility Centres;

(c) if so, the funds released to each unit during the Eleventh Plan so far;

(d) the details of the funds granted to various organisations for different projects under Technology Development Assistance (TDA) alongwith the recovery rate thereof; and

(e) the action taken by the Government for commercialisation of the technologies and the progress made in such commercialisation so far?

MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY; MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) MINISTRY OF EARTH SCIENCES; MINISTER OF STATE IN THE PRIME MINISTER’S OFFICE; MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PERSONNEL, PUBLIC GRIEVANCES AND PENSIONS; AND MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PARLIAMENTRY AFFAIRS (PRITHVIRAJ CHAVAN)

(a) to (e): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

STATEMENT REFERRED IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (e) OF THE LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO.252 FOR ANSWER ON 11-08-2010 RAISED BY SHRI RAJU SHETTI REGARDING NATIONAL MISSION ON BAMBOO APPLICATIONS

(a): The National Mission on Bamboo Applications (NMBA) funds projects under its Technology Development Assistance (TDA) programme. The details of projects funded in the XI Plan period from 2007-08 till 31-07-2010, is placed at Annexure 1.

(b) & (c): Yes, Madam. NMBA provides financial assistance to Common Facility Centres. It has supported 12 Common Facility Centres and provided technological assistance to impart training and help in skill development in (i) use of primary processing machines, shoot processing machines and pressure treatment plants;(ii) use of charcoal kilns and briquetting;(iii) blind making; (iv) gasification; (v) stick making; (vi) mat weaving; (vii) production of hygiene products, etc.

The National Bamboo Mission (NBM), which is a centrally sponsored scheme under the Ministry of Agriculture, provides financial assistance for both Handicrafts Units and Common Facility Centres. The focus of NBM is on plantation related research, bamboo cultivation and propagation, handicrafts marketing and exports.

The details of support extended by NMBA and NBM so far, during the XI Plan are placed at Annexure 2.

(d): As mentioned in part (a) above, the details of financial assistance extended by NMBA to various organizations for different projects under the Technology Development Assistance(TDA) programme are placed at Annexure 1. The overall recovery rate for loans extended as part of TDA is 63.1%.

(e): The NMBA has been developing and commercializing affordable technologies which can easily be made available. For this, NMBA scouts for bamboo-related indigenous technologies available in our research and educational institutions and also appropriate imported technologies and finds entrepreneurs to take them up. In order to encourage entrepreneurs, NMBA extends necessary financial assistance for procurement of technology, laboratory testing, prototype development, quality control and development of standards, establishment of supply chains and market linkages. Good number of technologies have already been commercialized and others are in the process of being developed or being commercialized. Details of such technologies are being collected and will be laid on the Table of the House.