Guwahati, May 19: The North Eastern Council (NEC) has planned ?Bamboo-2020?, a vision for developing the bamboo sector which will boost the economic growth and generate an annual turnover of approximately Rs 10,000 crore.

P.P. Shrivastava, a member of NEC, said the bamboo sector would help create a million jobs and by 2020 it will push up the global export of value-added bamboo products.

?We have to act immediately to speed up the growth. The bamboo sector is an area which can yield profits and it is the most easily available natural resource of the region,? Shrivastava said.

The plan aims at providing gainful employment to at least one member of a family, thus triggering productive community income. The project involves development and dissemination of sophisticated technology that will to diversify the products and improve the look of the product.

The raw bamboo stock in the Northeast is valued at Rs 5,000 crore and utilisation of just 25 per cent of the stock can generate a revenue of Rs 2,500 crore annually.

He said a mission approach has been adopted for the project.

With the help of the bamboo mission, the state will be able to affect policy decisions taken by the concerned central ministries.

In the first phase (2005-2010)highest priority would be accorded to efforts aimed at mitigating the consequences of the impending famine after bamboo flowering.

?There would be largescale harvesting of bamboo before flowering to preserve the quality,? Shrivastava said. Adequate measures would be taken to develop the market for bamboo. A turnover of Rs 1,000 crore is expected in the first phase by substantially enhancing the quantum of value-addition.

Efforts will be made to promote bamboo housing in urban and semi-urban areas. In the second phase (2010-2015), emphasis will be laid on transition from low value-added applications to high value-added applications. ?In this phase, bamboo, from being a mere forest produce, will be transformed into a major commercial commodity. And there will be an annual increase in the turnover to the tune of Rs 4,000 crore, ? said Shrivastava.