AGARTALA, December 26 (TIWN): 50 bamboo plant nurseries are present in the state at present, said Principal Secretary V. K Bahuguna. Taking to TIWN today Principal Secretary V. K. Bahuguna said that the order of closure of the ICFRE centre in Tripura has been issued by the secretary ICFRE without any consultation with the state government. This has caused wide range of spontaneous public protest as well as in the government at the highest level, he mentioned.

Tripura centre of ICFRE has been doing excellent work and is an example in the sector for people centric technology based cooperation between the state and the centre and the general public depending on forest resources, particularly the tribal population. One of the purpose of setting up the centre was to provide scientists of ICFRE opportunities to utilize the infrastructure of the state so as to reach the people extending the technologies science due to logistic reasons, it is difficult to reach the far flung areas in the North East for the Jorhat based institute. Such model is nonexistent in the country in other states and is a futuristic model for the ICFRE, Bahuguna mentioned.

V. K.  Bahuguna said that, Stress on agricultural development during the last decades was given for the increase in production of food grains. By providing essential inputs in the form of improved seeds, fertilizers, plant protection chemicals and by increasing substantially the area of cultivation under HYV programme, it has been possible for the state to raise production of food grains.

Promotion of soil and economic equality is a pre-condition for attaining substantial long-term increase in production. Measures to reduce inequalities should succeed in eliminating deterrents to work and aggregate labour utilization. But, the success mainly depends on the political climate, he added.

The chief occupation of the population in the state is agriculture. The main activity of more than three-fourths of the workers is agriculture. About 24.3% area is available for agriculture use. The principal crops are paddy, wheat, jute, sugar cane, potato, turmeric, coconut and oil seeds. Agriculture is being practiced in about 2.5 lakh hectares, he mentioned.