JICA India Mission Team On Three-Days Visit To Tripura; Reviews Progress Of SCATFORM Project

24th September 2022

Abhijit Nath, NET Correspondent, Tripura

Agartala, September 24, 2022 : A three-member official delegation of the JICA India Mission has visited Tripura on a three-day visit from September 21 last in order to review the progress of Tripura JICA (SCATFORM) Project. The members are- Principal Development Specialist Anurag Sinha, Representative Hidenobu Fujiwara and Project Officer Aishwarya Mishra.

The team attended a review meeting on September 21 at Prakriti Bhavan here in Agartala city and reviewed the component-wise physical and financial progress of SCATFORM Project presented by CEO & PD, JICA, Dr Avinash M Kantinde (IFS). After the presentation, the JICA India Mission Team appreciated the progress of the SCATFORM Project, as the project has progressed very well even after facing so many hurdles due to COVID-19 pandemic crisis for the last 2 to 3 years.

Later, JICA India Mission Team met with Tripura’s Principal Secretary of Forest department and HoFF, KS Sethi (IFS) for a while to update the issue related with the SCATFORM Project. Thereafter the JICA India Mission Team met with the Secretary of the Finance department Brijesh Pandey (IAS), and discussed the progress of the project and other avenues where JICA can also collaborate positively with the Government of Tripura.

In the evening, JICA India Mission Team conducted meeting with Director NCE Pravin Agrawal (IPS) and take note of the progress of NCE activities particularly the activities in Agar and other NTPP sector and suggested some action points for future activities going to be undertake by NCE for self-sustaining the NCE.

On the 2nd day i.e. on September 22 last, JICA India Mission Team visited Khowai district accompanied by PMU and PMC officials and seen the activities implemented in the Project villages during TRIPAP Project (Phase-1) as well as SCATFORM Project (Phase-II). They have visited AR, ANR, Agroforestry plantations, MUC and check dams constructed during Phase-I as well as under SCATFORM Project and interacted with the beneficiaries at Upendra JFMC, Bhupendra Debbarma JFMC and South Goyamoni JFMC. Fingerlings were released in two check dams in presence of the JICA Mission Team and also fish feed distributed to the SHGs involved in fishery activity. Three SHGs were given Rs 1 lakh loan in presence of JICA Mission Team for IGA activities. JICA Team also interacts with the SHG members engaged in Handloom making activity at South Goyamani JFMC.

In the evening, they visited Central nursery at Khasiamangal under Teliamura sub-division and appreciated the various activities taken up in the nursery. They also inaugurated one nursery office. Later, they visited an agroforestry plantation taken up under SCATFORM Project at Hawaibari JFMC. After interacting with the beneficiary the team appreciated the DMU chief Khowai and his team for well execution of Agroforestry activity. Later, they visited Multi Utility Centre (MUC) at Hawaibari JFMC, Hornbill Cafeteria and Crafts & More outlet at Baramura Eco-park which was developed during the 1st phase of Project (TFIPAP). They have well appreciated the initiative and recommended taking up many more such initiatives during the SCATFORM Project also to support the IGA activities of forest dwellers. The JICA Mission Team expressed their pleasure after seeing the field implementation of Phase-I activities as well as the SCATFORM Project activities at Khowai Tripura District.

On the 3rd day, JICA Team visited Subalsingh Range of West Tripura district to see the progress of field implementation particularly bamboo plantations taken up under Agroforestry during 1st phase followed by visit to 30 hectares of Kanakkaich plantation taken up during the 1st phase. Later, they once again reviewed the implementation status of the current project and discussed the activities and their experiences after the field visit.

Overall, the JICA Mission Team was impressed seeing the progress of implementation of project components and expressed their satisfaction. They complimented PMU officials that the Phase-II Project will be a successful venture like the Phase-I Project. In the evening of September 23 last, JICA India Mission Team departed from Tripura to Delhi.