Tripura ministers led Indian delegation to China

Agartala, July 7 (UNI) A three-member delegation, headed by Tripura Forest Minister Jitendra Choudhury would leave for Beijing from Delhi tonight to study the socio-economic development of the poor Jumias (tribal shifting cultivators).

Talking to UNI today, Mr Choudhury, who would be leaving on a Thai Airways flight, said the Tripura tribal welfare department had submitted a project for sustainable economic development of the state's tribals and subsequently the Centre had forwarded the proposal to world-renowned Chinese institution International Tropical Timber Organisation(ITTO) and who in turn invited an Indian delegation to gain practical knowledge.

''ITTO is a role model for successful rehabilitation of Jumias across the globe and we are going to understand the practice and strategy for socio-economic alleviation of the poor tribals, which will help us do the best for Tripura,'' Mr Choudhury said.

Official sources here today said that Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forest(APCCF) V K Bahuguna and the Additional Director General(Forest Conservation) of Ministry of Environment and Forest would accompany the minister Mr Choudhury on the 11-day China tour.

During the visit, the team would study rubber and bamboo plantations in China and interact with the erstwhile Jumias of tribal-dominated Kunming region, while they hold meetings with the scientists of Nanjinge Bamboo Engineering Research Centre, sources added here.

China has emerged as one of the major fast-growing economy in the world despite their ever-increasing population. Most of the tribal population had already attained economic self-sufficiency, following ITTO model, which attracted other countries of the world.

UNI