JICA project should focus on sustainable wealth creation to improve the quality of people’s livelihood: CM

The main objective of the JICA project is wealth creation. In this project, special emphasis should be given on sustainable wealth creation to improve the standard of living of the people in the state. Chief Minister Professor (Dr) Manik Saha said this at the review meeting of Tripura JICA project on 11 September, 2023. Chief Secretary J.K Sinha, Principal Chief Conservator of Forest KS Shetty, Secretary to Chief Minister Dr. Pradeep Kumar Chakraborty along with senior officials of concemed departments were present in the meeting. In the meeting, the current status, progress, future action plans and new initiatives of various JICA projects implemented in the state were discussed in detail. In the meeting, the Chief Minister said that JICA project works need to be accelerated so that people can get its benefits quickly.

Chief Executive Officer and Project Director of Tripura JICA Project Dr. A.M Kanfade said that the Tripura JICA project is currently being implemented in the state under the name of Sustainable Catchment Forest Managerment in Tripura (SCATFORM). The project has started from the year 2019-20 and its duration is 10 years. The cost of the project is about 1000 croге rupees. The project has been implemented in 7 districts of the state but the project is also running in 3 places of Dhalai district. He said that Tripura was declared as the second best performing state in the country in the implementation of forestry projects in the state in a recent review meeting of the Department of Economic Affairs of the Ministry of Finance, In the meeting, the project director informed that 450 joint forestry management committees. have been formed in the states under Sustainable Forest Management. 7 Central Nurseries, 3 Hi-Tech Nurseries and 86 Decentralized People’s Nurseries have been developed. Infrastructural development of central nursery and high-tech nurseries is also continuing. He informed that afforestation has been done on a cluster basis in 3059 hectares of Forestry Act lease land received as an initiative to implement Agro Forestry: 5,130 49 hectares of artificial regeneration afforestation and 14,54170 hectares of aided natural regeneration afforestation has been completed.

In the meeting, the project director informed that 562 check dams have been excavated so far in 5 hectare reservoir and 434 check dams in 2 hectare reservoir. Besides, 337 Amrit Sarovar check dams have been constructed under Tripura JICA project (SCATFORM) 1237 self-help groups have been formed to improve the standard of living of the people. The women members of these self-help groups are being supported in various ways to increase their income. Also 290 multi-utility centres have been constructed under Tripura JICA project. 28 beat Office is under construction. He also informed that initiatives will be taken to develop 3 eco-parks along with the development of 3 new eco-tourism centres in the state. The 3 new eco-tourism centres identified are Sitacherra reservoir, Dumboor reservoir and Jampuihill.