Gen JJ Singh, with his extensive knowledge and experience of the way in which the potential of bamboo has been exploited by states like Tripura and Nagaland always maintained that Arunachal Pradesh can also develop its bamboo sector on similar lines. With its vast natural bamboo resources and expertise of indigenous tribal population, the bamboo sector can bring about an economic transformation in the rural economies of the state.

“I am fully convinced that the bigger projects will definitely come today or tomorrow, but what we urgently need is the sustained income generating activities for the rural masses especially women and youth. The only sectors which have this potential are Tourism, Horticulture, Organic Farming, Textile and Handicraft, Apiculture etc.” Gen JJ Sing, PVSM, AVSM, VSM (Retd). Governor of Arunachal Pradesh

Facilitated by Departments of Planning and Environment & Forests, Government of Arunachal Pradesh and being implemented by Arunachal Pradesh Forest Corporation limited, the bamboo processing center was set up with technical help from Cane and Bamboo Technology Center (CBTC), Guwahati at Poma Village, 32 km from Itanagar and inaugurated on 18th August 2009.

The centre has now completed two years. Within these two years, it has changed the whole area by the Poma Bamboo Project, a brainchild of the Governor. It has in fact heralded the overall development process, not only in Poma village but the whole area. As upshots of the Project, the area is getting the focus and importance from the entire state. An adventure tourism project is coming up the area, capitalizing on the scenic beauty and serene natural environment. The villagers are also implementing another mission-mode project on ‘organic farming’ as a part of the model village concept. The Project has facilitated regular interactions of the villagers with the Governor, who is promoting organic farming at Raj Bhavan.

The Bamboo Processing Center, one of its kind in the state, now produces agarbatti sticks, dust bins, stick baskets, fruit baskets and mats. Touching with modernity, villagers make bamboo mobile stands, pen stands, pen boxes, table lamps, cloth hangers, dinning mats, tea trays and tea coasters etc. As on the date, the villagers have made six tons of agarbatti sticks, six thousand baskets, seven thousand dustbins, a thousand hangers, three thousand five hundred pen stands, two thousand each of tea trays and fruit baskets taking the numbers of items to more than ten thousand. The products of the center are of high quality and the prices are kept at a minimum on the advice of the Governor, informed Nodal Officer of the project, Mr. Gumtum Rime, Divisional Manager, APFCL.

Now with the opening of a showroom cum sale counter at Chimpu on 14th August, there is an outlet for other items made by the villagers in their respective houses, Poma Village Development Society Chairperson Techi Anna said.

One of the women beneficiaries aged around 40 years Techi Pede said, “Earlier we used to stay at home and pass our time in household work but with the establishment of the center we have the opportunity to learn and utilize our idle time making handicrafts items and earn something out of it.”

Along with self employment to the villagers, the project has brought a huge change in the village in communication with better roads and improved power supply. The village school has also improved in its infrastructure with the addition of play equipment. The only problem is the water supply as most of the supply lines have been damaged by the recent heavy rain. It is hoped that the concerned department will rectify this very soon.

Anna who is also the Panchayat leader of the area informed that now more than fifty families are directly benefited from the project. The center and the village have become a sought after venue for any visiting members of technical and rural development institutions and organizations. Moreover, many training programmes were conducted here including one by State Institute for Rural Development, Industries department on apiculture or bee keeping. Icing the cake, Muskan Welfare Society led by the First Lady of the state provided a weaving center to the village. Now our handloom produces are also reaching the market.

The center has always attracted people since it inception. Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram to Chief Election Commissioner Novin Chawla, all visited the place. Chidambaram launched the production of bamboo products at Bamboo Processing Centre on 2nd April 2010. British High Commissioner Sir Richard Stagg and Vice Admiral of Eastern Naval Command Anup Singh were some of the many important dignitaries who visited the center.

Ripunjoy Das