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The new land "Bodoland Territorial Council" was newly created from the land of Assam on 10th February 2003. Thus, new officers, new departments, new infrastructures and some of the new manpower have been engaged on a fixed pay salary basis. 

That same way, on 3 March 2005,  636 (six hundred thirty-six) persons have been engaged to help the regular forest staff on a fixed pay salary basis, Rs. 6500/-per head, per month, to protect the forest and wildlife of BTC area, at the order of the Honourable Dy Chief, Sjt. Kampa Bargayary. Later, in 2008, a Unified Forest Conservation Network (UFCN), BTC was created amongst 636 persons for better forest conservation and information. 

 Since then, our 636 persons UFCN is providing our forest conservation services day and night towards the BTC Forests. As the chairman of UFCN, I have organized forest conservation awareness program many times at many places of BTC area, but failed to stop the timber smuggling and wildlife poaching. 

 Lastly, people say that an idea can change your life, the ginger, cardamom, betel nut and sugarcane, etc; cultivations can take a person from zero to "Lakhpati" in eight months time. I have advised the villagers on my forest conservation awareness program to cultivate the ginger and cardamom and avoid the timber cutting. As per this year, villagers followed my advice. Almost 25 families have changed their earning method from timber cutting to ginger and cardamoms cultivation on almost 25 bighas plots of land. They are hoping for almost Rs.55,20,000/-(fifty-five lakhs, twenty-two thousand) from their cultivated ginger. Cardamoms are ready for sale which is happening at Jharbari, district- Kokrajhar, BTC. That is the concept of indirect forest conservation. 

Overall, I would like to request my brothers and sisters of Northeast India, to cultivate ginger, and not to destroy the forest as enough money can be generated from this cultivation, as compared to timber. 

I would also like to request the Honourable Chief and the Dy Chief of BTC, to offer some ginger and cardamom seeds on subsidy basis for the villagers through the UFCN, for indirect forest conservation of BTC. 

 

     Bhuban Mushahary 

   Chairman, UFCN, BTC 

To read the further articles please get your copy of Eastern Panorama August issue @http://www.magzter.com/IN/Hill-Publications/Eastern-Panorama/News/ or mail to contact @easternpanorama.in