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Minutes of Meetings
Minutes of the 3rd meeting of the Governing
Body of Tripura Forest Environmental Improvement and Poverty
Alleviation Society held under the Chairmanship of Chief
Secretary, Government of Tripura on 21.05.2009
The 3rd meeting of the Governing Body of Tripura Forest
Environmental Improvement and Poverty Alleviation Society (TFIPS)
was held on 21.05.2009 in the Conference Hall No.I of Civil
Secretariat, Agartala under the Chairmanship of Chief Secretary,
Government of Tripura, who is also the Chairperson of the
Society.
2. The Society (TFIPS) came into being vide Forest Departments
Notification No.F.16/C/For-JBIC/Society/07/15071-94 dated
9.8.2007 for implementation of Tripura- JICA (Japan
International Co-operation Agency) Project. The following
members attended the meeting:
Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Tripura
Dr. V.K.Bahuguna, Member Technical Expert–Forestry, NRAA,
Ministry of Agriculture, Govt.of India, New Delhi.
Principal Secretary, ARD Department, Tripura
Commissioner & Secretary, Tribal Welfare Department, Tripura
Chief Executive Officer & Project Director, Tripura- JICA
Project
Director, (Planning & Implementation) Tripura-JICA Project
Secretary, Fisheries Department, Tripura
Representative of Chief Executive Officer, TTAADC
Leave of absence was granted to the following members:
o Dr. K.S. Ramachandran, Member, Technical expert-Animal
Husbandry, NRAA, Ministry of Agriculture, Govt. of India, New
Delhi
o Chief Wildlife Warden, Tripura, Agartala
3. The Director, Planning & Implementation, Tripura- JICA
Project, Member-Secretary of the Governing Body of the Society,
welcomed all the participants in the meeting and made a power
point presentation on the agenda items. The agenda of the
meeting was as follows:
1) Review of the progress of Tripura- JICA Project.
2) Requirement of man-power in the project.
3) Miscellaneous issues.
The action taken on the decisions taken in the last meeting of
the Governing Body on 28.03.2009 and the progress made during
the intervening period was briefed as follows:
• It was informed that order has already been issued to the
shortlisted contractor for commencement of the baseline data
survey works as decided in the last meeting of Governing Body.
• A proposal has been moved by the Project Management Unit (PMU)
for creation of a corpus of Rs. 20 crore for which funds need to
be released
• 16 more Joint Forest Management Committees (JFMC) have been
notified. Now, the total no. of JFMCs is 194
• Demarcation work of the notified JFMCs is in progress
• Microplanning works in the first batch JFMCs are in full swing
and expected to be completed by June 2009
• Training of the Livelihood Coordinators is complete and they
have been posted in the various Range Management Units (RMUs)
and working for microplan preparation
Thereafter, a detailed component-wise status report of the
progress of the project vis-ŕ-vis the project time-lines was
presented. A brief slide show depicting salient aspects of
project implementation was also made.
4. The issues were deliberated upon at length and the decisions
taken as follows:
i) Owing to acute shortage of officers/staff at various levels,
the State Government is unable to provide the required manpower
to the project as per appoved MoD (Minutes of Discussion) of the
project. The man- power requirement for the PMU/ DMU(Divisional
Management Unit)/ RMU as proposed by the project authorities was
found to be justified. It was decided to hire retired or other
suitable personnel on contract basis on fixed consolidated
remuneration. The CEO, Tripura- JICA project may take further
necessary action in this regard. A representative from the
concerned Department should be co-opted in the recruitment
process of the particular discipline for the post of Technical
Officer.
ii) It was observed by the Chairman that as per record, though
the JICA have reimbursed the funds to Government of India, the
same has actually not yet been released by the Government of
India to the State Government account in full. Around Rs. 11
crore is yet to be received. The Project Management Unit shall
pursue and arrange transfer of reimbursed funds against claims
preferred and inform the Finance Department accordingly so that
the Finance Department can release those funds in addition to
the corpus as soon as the reimbursements are received. Rs 5
crore is likely to be released by the Finance Department soon
and the balance will be released immediately after the
Government of India transfers the fund to the State Government.
iii) The Project Management Unit shall devise a mechanism to
account for the expenses incurred by the State Government/
Forest Department towards administrative cost so that
expenditure incurred on this count gets correctly reflected in
the statement of accounts of the Society.
iv) There is a need for convergence of various Government
programmes/schemes in the project villages. For this purpose,
the CEO should contact the Principal Secretary/ Secretary,
School Education/ Social Education/ Health/ Rural Development/
Animal Resource Development/ Fisheries etc. immediately for
arranging flow of funds for smooth implementation of the related
activities in the project villages. A planned convergence of
funds to the selected JFMCs of the project will be expedited by
the Fisheries/ Animal Resource Development/ Industries/
Horticulture Departments to ensure a holistic development of the
villages based on the approved microplans of the respective
JFMCs.
v) Processing of ham, bacon and other products shall be given
priority so that the livestock activities/products for export
and mass production get impetus and ready market.
vi) The facilities/ infrastructure as well as marketing shall be
developed to promote eco-tourism. For this purpose, the Tourism
Corporation shall also be involved.
vii) Now that initial documentation by NTFP Centre of Excellence
is complete, the Centre should focus on development of bamboo
and other products and Orchid production so that at least 20,000
families could be identified for taking up mass production. The
Chief Technical Advisor and the General Consultants (GC) shall
prepare the road map for the same.
viii) Jack fruit tree is a versatile species and is indigenous
to this region. So, plantation of Jack fruit, Anwla, Arjun etc.
shall be accorded priority along with bamboos.
ix) Director, NCE should arrange road show and participate in
fairs for promoting NTFP products with focus on certain items
which are considered to have reached international standard. Due
care on durability aspect has to be taken while promoting such
items.
x) Skilled persons may be identified for further skill
upgradation through
long term trainings including international trainings on
research, marketing and extension as proposed in the MoD.
xi) Places where Natural Resource Management projects has been
successful will be included for visit by the members of the
JFMCs/ PMU/ DMU/ RMU officials (e.g. Ahmednagar, Maharashtra).
The meeting concluded with thanks to the chair.
Sd/-
(Shashi Prakash )
Chief Secretary, Tripura
Chairman, Governing Body, TFIP Society
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