Strengthening rural economy
Since we are an agrarian economy our rural economic activity needs to be vibrant and well designed so that growth prospects go on increasing and youth find avenues of employment with ease.
For ensuring that rural economy prospers and offers growth prospects the administration has to think out of the box and help creating ideas that are ever-sustaining and prove to be effective as well.
One such idea of promoting a rural industry is the bamboo plantation that is coming up in the Kathua district, owing to its distinct topographical and geo climatic conditions. The Shivalik range of hills along the Jammu-Pathankot Highway in Kathua has a good concentration of bamboo plants.
The bamboo is put to immense use in various north eastern states and as such the uses of the plants are known here as well. Not only in Jammu but in Kashmir as well as Ladakh region the bamboo is used for various purposes both Industrial and domestic.
From past many years bamboo is closely interwoven with the life of people in district Kathua in several ways. It is used as a construction material besides for the production of everyday utilities like basket, chair, table, brush, almirah, bed, ladders and many decorative items. The people also earn their livelihood by selling a number of bamboo artifacts.
Interestingly, for promoting the trade and bamboo craft the administration has started four training centers which are being run by the Department of Handicraft in Kathua with intake capacity of 80 trainees per year.
Here the bamboo artisans being trained in the art of making a number of new bamboo products like new design pen stand, decorative table chair set, flower basket, model of Atal-setu, name plate, bamboo flower with stand, round tables and many other products.
Various schemes like providing non-refundable financial assistance to bamboo Co-operative Societies too have been initiated to generate more interest among the locals to get associated with the trade.
All this will ensure that a success story is created where the local produce is used to create a huge market for the bamboo not only in Jammu but other regions as well.
The bamboo has immense potential for generating income and employment not only in Kathua district but elsewhere as well. Bamboo is also called as ‘wonder plant’, green gold, emperor of grasses, woods of the poor because it is used by the people in their everyday utilities.
However, one thing that needs to be kept in mind is that the trade and promotion of bamboo should witness innovations from time to time so that new markets are created. This will ensure that revenue keeps on increasing and fresh job opportunities too shapeup and the industry maintains its growth.
KV Network
