Ministry of MSME, through Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), has launched a unique pilot project named “Project BOLD” (Bamboo Oasis on Lands in Drought) on 04.01.2021, from a tribal village Nichla Mandwa in Udaipur district of Rajasthan, which is an arid zone, to fulfil the combined national objectives of preventing land degradation, reducing desertification and providing livelihood and multi-disciplinary rural industry support to the people living in dry/arid and drought-prone regions of the country. The objective of this initiative is to scientifically harness the environmental benefits and economic potential of bamboo cultivation to protect environment and strengthen rural economy through various village industries.

There is no budgetary provision for this project under KVIC. However, bamboo saplings have been donated by an NGO that have been brought from Assam, while the plantation is done by KVIC under “Swacchh Bharat Abhiyan”. The maintenance of the plants is done by the local community and/or Border Security Force (BSF) and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) with whose assistance the plantation has been done at several places.

No targets have been set for this project as it is a pilot project only.

This information was given by the Minister of State for Micro Small and Medium Enterprises, Shri Bhanu Pratap Singh Verma in a written reply to the Lok Sabha.

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MJPS