Guwahati: Bamboo will not be a tree in Assam anymore.

Forest minister Pramila Rani Brahma on Tuesday tabled a bill in the Assembly to amend the Assam Forest Regulation, omitting bamboo grown in non-forest areas from the definition of trees.

If the bill, titled The Assam Forest Regulation (Amendment) Bill, 2018 is passed, no permit will be required to fell or transport bamboo in the state.

"The bill proposes to omit the word bamboo from the definition of tree in order to exempt bamboos grown on non-forest area from the requirement of permit for felling or transit and would encourage bamboo plantation by farmers resulting in enhancement of their income from agricultural fields," the minister said.

She said though bamboo is taxonomically a grass, it is treated as a tree under the Assam Forest Regulation, 1891.

According to her, currently, the farmers are facing hardships in getting the permits for felling and transit of bamboos within and outside the state, which has been identified as a major impediment.

Brahma said there were similar provisions in the Indian Forest Act, 1927, and considering the difficulties mentioned above, the Centre recently amended the specific provisions by exempting the bamboo from the purview of the definition of "tree".