AGARTALA, May 24 (TIWN): With a focus on delivering much more development outcomes, newly inducted Forest and Rural Development Minister Naresh Jamatia has hinted at revisiting the existing plans to ensure that those could fulfill more expectations of the people while speaking exclusively with TIWN, on his assumption of office as the new minister at secretariat today.

 “I will ensure transparency, accountability in all sectors and curb corruption with an iron hand and deliver results” says Mr. Jamatia

On forest he said, it is a place, where a lot of functions intertwine, and we cannot talk only about economy, i.e. about income and rational use of forest resources, only economic benefits. Environment protection function, biological diversity is also important, and the most important thing is forest’s social functions, human recreation. Forests can be used as long as it does not affect forest functions, which are related to biological diversity in a broad sense, and with the functions of environmental protection.

“I see that the future is bright. I am convinced that in the sense of both farming and forest development the progress is clear. Today and in the coming decades this process will not decline. If we talk about forest areas, so they will definitely increase, “the stated.

The northeastern state of Tripura ranks first in India  for providing land deeds to tribal’s under the forest rights act with 120,418 families benefiting since 2008, the minister said. His primary task will be to improve the socio – economic condition who got forest right. He will stress on bamboo cultivation, horticulture and tea plantations. 

On Rural Development, the minister said, “I plan to use rural development programs relating to roads, employment, housing, water supply and land to reduce the trust deficit between the administration and the rural population”.

The state government is spending so much on villages is because 70 percent of our population lives in rural areas. That is where agriculture is, where the base of our economic prosperity comes from.