AGARTALA, December 25 (TIWN): While the Centre for Forest-based Livelihood and Extension (CFLE) is gradually becoming a viable centre-point of development and playing a vital role in upliftment of the poor people, the Union Forest Ministry has ordered to shut down the CFLE's Tripura unit recently.

 According to a source, The Noagaon Bamboo Growers' Society (NBGS) has been working under CFLE for two years. The order of closure will directly hit the interest of the local poor farmers as their livelihood is connected to this centre. It can lead them to engage in ganja cultivation and illegal trade, said a source. 

In a discussion with Rikta Sharma, Kuntal Bhardwaj, Satyajit Datta, Supen Datta and Krishna Bhardwaj involved in agro-based forest units, they informed that a total of 80 families working in agro-based forest under the guidance of CFLE at Noagaon in Bamutia are completely dependent on this centre. 

The source further said that the centre has supplied 1.5 lakh bamboo saplings to the Tripura Bamboo Mission against the target of 11 lakh in Hezamar block on July 29, this year while 400 different species of bamboo saplings were supplied to Hyderabad in the current year. Altogether 50 agro-based units are operational under the NBGS in the state at present, source added. 

The CFLE introduced training, motivation, guidance and seedlings to NBGS. Besides, the centre has demonstrated various techniques of bamboo nurseries, Vermi composting units, bamboo treatment in fields and homestead of our beneficiaries at Bamutia adjacent to Indo-Bangla border. 

Taking the order of Union Forest Ministry as serious note, the NBGS submitted a memorandum to the DDG, Administration of ICFRE, Dehradun and demanded that CFLE should stay in the state for the development of rural areas of the state and to direct ICFRE to reconsider the decision and to let continue the lone CFLE in the state. They also placed a letter to the Chief Minister and Forest Minister in this regard. The Member of Parliament (MP) Jitendra Chowdhury already raised the issue in the Parliament. 

CFLE is a set up to cater to the research and extension needs of Tripura; a state which is predominantly hilly with plains constitutions less than 10% of the geographical area. Majority of the 19 scheduled tribes of state representing 30% of its population depends largely on forests. These communities are mostly settled in fringe of the forests and carry out their livelihood integrated activities to arrange food, shelter, fodder and health care.