Tripura government will construct 8000 houses to rehabilitate shifting cultivators, who are mainly living in the tree-top houses (Tong ghar) in the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomus District Council Areas constituting two-thirds of the state territory.
Chief Minister Manik Sarkar announced that state government would provide houses to hardcore Jhumia tribals (shifting cultivators) in the state by 2018 during a review meeting on developments in the TTAADC areas at Khumulwung, about 30 km from here yesterday.
Altogether 8000 houses would be constructed by the funds from the state government's own welfare scheme, an official said quoting the Chief Minister.
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"With the fast increase of population in the state, the areas under agricultural land is shrinking. Plenty of agricultural land is available in TTAADC where irrigation facilities should be extended to bring more land under agriculture", Sarkar said.
Chief Minister asked the officials to implement 90 per cent of irrigation projects in the tribal council areas.
He also announced a package of Rs.50 lakh for the development of sports there.
The tribal council area is formed with the 68 per cent of total land of the state which is the home to tribals who constitute one-third of the state's population.