Rs 112cr German aid for Tripura forest mgnt

Agartala, May 24: A German-based investment company will provide financial aid of Rs 112 crore to Tripura for participatory natural resource management and value addition of forest produce, including medicinal plants. Offical sources said GTZ would also offer technical support and consultancy services to the state for successful implementation of the management under Indo-German cooperation.

Joint Secretary, Ministry of Finance, Kumar Sanjoy Krishna on behalf of Centre inked the deal with GTZ South Asian Cooperation wing head W Konra in New Delhi during Indo-German Annual Consultation on Development Cooperation yesterday. GTZ would sign another agreement with Tripura Chief Secretary Shashi Prakash on May 29 to finalise the project modalities, sources added.

In connection with the project submitted by state government for poverty alleviation through natural resource management, the GTZ had extended support to implement the six-year-long project, sources said adding that it would also improve the socio-economic condition of the people, especially tribals.

Earlier, Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) had provided Rs 311 Core as soft loan for an ecological conservation project, work for which has started recently while the state government was pursuing with China-based International Tropical Timber Organisation (ITTO) for financial support.

UNI