- Abhijit Nath, NET Correspondent, Tripura
Agartala, July 15, 2022 : Tripura’s council of ministers in a meeting approved a special scheme to support indigenous unemployed youths of the state by helping them financially by the government and banks in rearing livestock especially goats, said Education minister Ratanlal Nath on Thursday evening.
Speaking to media persons at Civil Secretariat here in Agartala city, Nath said, “The Tribal Welfare department moved a proposal to launch a scheme ‘Puno Baniya’ (Kokborok word meaning goat business) and cabinet approved it focusing the key motive of the scheme to uplift the living standards of indigenous natives of Tripura.”
“To generate more income by the tribal people, a credit linked goatery scheme where the Self Help Group members will get Rs 2,51,000 for one unit. The beneficiary from each unit has to pay an amount of Rs 25,100 while the state government will pay a share of Rs 1,04,000 and rest of the Rs 1,25,500 will be deposited in their accounts as loan. In the scheme, Tripura Gramin Bank will become the financing agency in the scheme and after receiving the money, no installments needed to be paid for nine months. Once the beneficiaries start earning then will be paying the EMIs of loan while the state government will be the grantor for the beneficiaries”, he added.
Citing the reason behind goat being chosen, Nath said “Goats among all livestock are considered to be immune to various diseases compared to heavy losses incurred in pigs and poultry. The fodder purchasing expenses and labour are also less than other livestock rearing. Moreover, goats give high returns in a short span. Apart from meat and milk, the goat’s excreta is immensely used as a fodder in fisheries”.
He further added that the beneficiaries will be given a set of 12 goats comprising ten females and two males either from open market or from the Animal Resource Development department. He also informed reporters that a similar scheme is there to promote piggery with budget of Rs 2.20 lakh for one unit.
