evidence: Budget 2018: In Union Budget 2018, presented by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley last week, the government has allocated a whopping Rs 1,290 crore to promote the bamboo sector. "Bamboo is ‘Green Gold’. We removed bamboo grown outside forest areas from the definition of trees. Now, I propose to launch a Restructured National Bamboo Mission with an outlay of Rs 1290 crore to promote bamboo sector in a holistic manner," Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said. Notably, the northeast part of India grows 67% of India’s bamboo. The strategic importance of this mission cannot be undermined. The allocation of Rs. 1,290 crore for a restructured National Bamboo Mission (NBM) has raised hopes for a range of bamboo-based industries — from food processing to construction. According to the government’s website, the mission envisages promoting holistic growth of bamboo sector by adopting area-based, regionally differentiated strategy and to increase the area under bamboo cultivation and marketing. "Under the Mission, steps have been taken to increase the availability of quality planting material by supporting the setting up of new nurseries and strengthening of existing ones. To address forward integration, the Mission is taking steps to strengthen marketing of bamboo products, especially those of handicraft items," says the website.