Bamboo in Orissa: Trade and Livelihood Perspective - Vasundhara
Bamboo in Orissa: Trade and Livelihood Perspective - Vasundhara
Bamboo in Orissa: Trade and Livelihood Perspective - Vasundhara
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All rights reserved by VASUNDHARA(www.vasundharaorissa.org). For any clarification, contact author at sunlit1968@yahoo.co.<strong>in</strong><br />
less than what the tenants were required to pay simply because the rate was subsidised for<br />
the former. 7<br />
The Emp. Committee observed <strong>in</strong> their meet<strong>in</strong>g on 6.10.1988 that out of the expected<br />
production of 3.5 lakh MT of forest bamboo <strong>in</strong> the state, 2.8 lakh MT would be kept for<br />
paper mills, 0.50 lakh MT for nistar-payers <strong>and</strong> artisans, <strong>and</strong> 0.20 lakh MT as commercial<br />
bamboo. In the subsequent period, no special quota was fixed for nistar-payers <strong>and</strong><br />
artisans, <strong>and</strong> only two categories of production viz. IB <strong>and</strong> CB were recognised.<br />
Although the paper mills were usually required to harvest required quantities of<br />
commercial bamboo to meet the local needs, Saxena found <strong>in</strong> 1995 that they did not follow<br />
this <strong>in</strong>struction on the plea that the poor people did not turn up to purchase this bamboo<br />
from them(Saxena, op.cit., p.15). It is not surpris<strong>in</strong>g to f<strong>in</strong>d that those who tried to ensure<br />
maximum production for their own use, were not s<strong>in</strong>cere <strong>in</strong> giv<strong>in</strong>g the tenants their share <strong>in</strong><br />
the bamboo forests under their operation. Further, it has been learnt from a confidential<br />
source that there was a secret <strong>in</strong>struction from OFDC headquarter which discouraged the<br />
paper mills <strong>in</strong> harvest<strong>in</strong>g long bamboo s<strong>in</strong>ce from commercial po<strong>in</strong>t of view OFDC found<br />
it unprofitable. In fact, work<strong>in</strong>g cost for commercial bamboo was calculated to be<br />
significantly higher than that of <strong>in</strong>dustrial bamboo (like, Rs.420/MT for CB aga<strong>in</strong>st<br />
Rs.310/MT of IB, for salia species, <strong>in</strong> 1988-89). The Emp. Committee had allowed the<br />
Corporation to <strong>in</strong>clude work<strong>in</strong>g cost <strong>in</strong> the price of CB, <strong>and</strong> hence OFDC was no more<br />
legally bound to follow the schedule of rates. On the other h<strong>and</strong>, people of forest-fr<strong>in</strong>ge<br />
villages, who had easy access to forest bamboo, found it more affordable to br<strong>in</strong>g their<br />
requirement from the local forests(of course, without permission) than pay<strong>in</strong>g to OFDC.<br />
Still, the Corporation did supply some bamboo to the tenants at various places at subsidised<br />
rates, <strong>and</strong> even purchased bamboo from the neighbour<strong>in</strong>g state <strong>and</strong> sent to the districts<br />
affected by super cyclone <strong>in</strong> 1999 aga<strong>in</strong>st a transportation charge only.<br />
In 2002, the government allowed various relaxations so that the paper mills or other big<br />
customers/traders would be <strong>in</strong>terested to purchase stocks available with OFDC, but did not<br />
make any consideration for the artisans. Those liv<strong>in</strong>g near bamboo forests have some<br />
opportunity to somehow cope with the situation; but for those hav<strong>in</strong>g no chance for an<br />
access to bamboo forests, depots of OFDC or private traders are the only source of gett<strong>in</strong>g<br />
bamboo; <strong>and</strong> <strong>in</strong> the latter case non-availability of <strong>and</strong>/or higher price of bamboo at the<br />
Corporation depot is natural to lead to resentment particularly because OFDC is a govt<br />
concern.<br />
Contradictory decisions<br />
While the state was tak<strong>in</strong>g steps to tackle with the situation of non-disposal of bamboo, the<br />
government decided <strong>in</strong> 2003 to impose 1% Forest Development Tax on the bamboo<br />
7 For <strong>in</strong>stance, for cutt<strong>in</strong>g one SU(approx. 50 bundles) of IB the labour charges would be Rs.250<br />
@Rs.5/bundle. With the same money, cutt<strong>in</strong>g of 250 pieces of long bamboo would be possible if the cutt<strong>in</strong>g<br />
+charge is kept at the lowest possible rate, i.e., Re.1/piece. 250 pieces of CB is equivalent to 0.71 SU; hence<br />
the production would be almost 30% less <strong>in</strong> this case despite the same <strong>in</strong>vestment.<br />
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