Tripura’s Chief Minister, Prof. Dr. Manik Saha, has expressed a strong commitment to maintaining the state’s ecological balance to protect its diverse wildlife and forests.
This statement came during his participation in the State Level concluding ceremony of Wildlife Week, which was followed by the inauguration of an E-Office at Joychandpur School Ground in South Tripura district.
He released butterflies into the enclosure at the Butterfly Garden at Trishna Wildlife Sanctuary and inspected the Butterfly Park, a major tourist attraction, developed by the Forest department. “Butterflies are indicators of a healthy environment and ecosystem,” he asserted emphasizing the significance of preserving the environment for wildlife.
Tripura boasts approximately 73 percent forest coverage, but Dr. Saha expressed concern about the endangerment of various animal species globally.
He stressed the need to maintain an ecological balance, stating, “Various animals are venturing into human habitats and damaging trees due to deforestation, leading to unfortunate incidents like elephants straying onto villages. We must ensure these animals receive the necessary facilities in their natural habitats. The ecological balance is vital for the survival of both humans and wildlife, as forests are akin to the lungs of our ecosystem, and our survival is interdependent.”
The Chief Minister encouraged students and the public to visit wildlife sanctuaries in the state and mentioned that the education department would consider making such visits mandatory for students in the future.
The ceremony was attended by Cooperation Minister Shukla Charan Noatia, MLA Swapna Majumder, Secretary of Industry and Commerce Kiran Gitte, Principal Secretary and PCCF K. S. Sethi, and Additional PCCF.
Inaugurating the E-Office, Dr Saha underlined the government’s digital transformation efforts.
He said, “We initiated the introduction of a state-level E-Office, followed by E-Vidhansabha and E-Cabinet. Now, in South Tripura district, we have launched the E-Office, making it the first district-level paperless E-Office system in the state”.
The Chief Minister also pointed out, “The E-Office system presents numerous advantages, and we have plans to extend its implementation to sub-divisional and panchayat levels. This will ensure efficient and transparent storage of data and files, streamlining administrative processes.”