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“The hills are covered for the most part with bamboo jungles while the low ground abounds with trees of various kinds, of canes and swamps. All along the northern, western and southern boundaries of the state lie a narrow strip of low land, differing in no material respect, as regards soil, cultivation and population from those parts of the District of Sylhet, Tipperah and Chittagong. From the Summit of ranges the view of the country is striking but monotonous, the low bamboo covered hills look at a distance like mere undulations clad with verdure. Here & there in the spring, a yellow spot marks the place were the bamboos have been cleared away for the purpose of Jhum cultivation, or the smoke of a hamlet may be seen rising above the jungle and low trees. But one view is exactly the same as another and scarcely repays the trouble of climbing a thousand feet of steep hill side.”

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“Till last thirty or thirty five years there was the political agent reports, indicating little or no plough-cultivation in the state. By decree however, the land was taken up under what are now called Jangal-Abadi” lease, the usual conditions of which are as follows :

The land to be rent free for a period of four to ten years according to the nature of jungle, then to be subjected to rent at the rate of 2 to 3 annas per bigha, gradually increasing it till it reaches a moderate amount which does not equal the rate paid for adjoining lands in Government territory.”

It is significant that Mr. Hunter, as against the description of forest department given by officers of topographical survey of India in earlier year, state that the high forests were restricted mainly to the low grounds. This would show that the retrogression of forests had already started in hills because of shifting cultivation practiced by almost the whole population numbering less than 50,000 who were all tribals. The forests of Chittagong and Assam are in contiguity to the forests of Tripura and the description of these forests by the same author indicates these to be covered with high forests even on hills. There is no reason why the forests of Tripura should have been different. There are positive indications that removal of high forests, particularly in this climate, results in bamboos, particularly Muli Bamboos. Successive retrogression result in to Thatch, Eupatorium species or even Bororea hispida, particularly on latertic formations. Till 1874 these forests were being worked on a loosely framed lease system. The lessess used to cut down any number of trees in the forests upstream, float the best sections only of these trees down the river system & paying a toll of only 2% of the value at the toll stations. It would appear that in 1874 at least a part of these toll stations were taken over under Khas management by posting suitable officers by the maharaja and consequent to that there was increase in revenue. This attracted attention of the Maharaja. Prior to that, history of forests indicates that forests had particularly no value to the rulers of Tripura. Those who made a living out of their age old right of jhuming had to pay a nominal tax called “Ghar Chukti Kar” (Home tax) and other nominal taxes in lieu of Forest Revenue or Land Revenue. With the development of a Timber market in the neighbouring areas of British India there seems to be a strong possibility that some contractors appeared in the scene and started working on this loosely framed lease system.

In the past a major portion of state revenue was derived from Kheda operation or the capture of wild elephants. Kaliprassanna Sen in his Sri Rajmala has devoted a number of pages on various aspects of the elephant wealth of Tripura. In the 1329 T.E. Regulations, more provisions relating to the capture of wild elephants in addition to the previous regulations of 1297 T.E., 1304 T.E., 1310 T.E., 1325 T.E., were laid down. But the average receipt from kheda operation gradually came down. The report on Administration of the Tippera State for the year 1313 T.E. (1903-1904 A.D.) indicates it to be due to gradual extension of cultivation towards the interior and increased work in jungles of the men of the farmers of forest revenue.

In 1944 there were 87 Forest and Customs stations throughout Tripura. Yet, in the state Secretariat Archives (Agartala) there are innumerable files and documents on the illicit felling of trees by the agents of vested interests, which had assumed alarming proportions during the forties and fifties of the present century. Although it was officially declared that the policy behind the system of management of forest was “to prepare the forests for scientific management in the near future with least possible inconvenience to the inhabitants”, there was little substance behind that populist rhetoric and obviously, the effect of the forest management policy was harmful for the people.

Virtually the so called “Jangal Abadi” system was given the stamp of authority by the Maharaja of the state in the year 1899 by a rule named “Jarip-o-Bandabast Sambhandhi Niyamabali 1309 T.E.” since the purpose of this was to measure the allotted land, piecemeal survey in blocks was done and no overall survey was undertaken. As the population of the state was very sparse, the rulers intended that people from neighbouring areas should come and take settlement of land by clearing jungle.

In the hilly areas no rent was paid by the hill people for the land used for jhuming. But in lieu of rent, a house tax, as stated earlier was levied and realized through the intermediary of the Sardars (Headman). Long before the house tax had been introduced in the state, the hill people used to pay annual royalty in various kinds, namely animals as are available in the hills and jungles and ivory, hides and horns of wild animals, metal gong and wares etc. The jhum produce of sesamum and cotton according to a scale fixed annually by the Raja was sometime charged as Rajkar (royalty).

About a century after the introduction of the permanent Settlement in 1793 an enactment called “Rajwada Sambandhi Niyamabali” (Act of 1290 T.E) was made in Tripura in 1880 A.D. It is the first legislation of its kind on land tenure and it primarily dealt with the collection of land revenue from various sources. This Act was followed by Landlord Tenant Act (Act I of 1296 T.E.) i.e. 1886 A.D. This Act came into force on the first day of Baisakha 1296 T.E. in the whole of the state of Tripura by repealing all the earlier Rules which existed prior to that on the subject. These Rules may also be said as the first Act relating to Forest of Tripura. The forest matter has been dealt with under this Act under the head “Miscellaneous” from section 82 to section 86 reads as follows (translation from original Bengali)

82    –      No Talukdar, Izaradar or any tenant having any right of occupancy or any other collection shall have any right in trapping operation or felling of valuable tree species like Sal, Garjan, Mouri, Agar, Saral, Dhuna or any valuable other trees on which the state shall have full right.

83    –      No talukdar and others shall have any right over such as have already been or may in future be imposed on sundry article or any kind.

By Act II of 1297 T.E. (1887 A.D.) jhuming in the vicinity of Sal Forest was forbidden for first time, possibly to regulate felling and removal of reserved species. A fresh set of comprehensive rules was framed where permit system was introduced. It may be said that proper implementation of the Rules and regulations relating to the Forests started being implemented in the field. It provided punishment also for infringement. In the Administrative Report for 1908-09, the Forest area of Tripura was as under :

Till such time, it would appear, emphasis was give more on reservation of tree rather than Forests. In 1931, more set of Rules were framed for the organization of a Forest Department and Tripura was divided into several Forest Mohallas or Sub-Division. Up to the twenties of the present century, the area of Reserve Forests in Tripura increased very slowly.

Act II of 1297 T.E., which was a Forest Act, contained provisions somewhat analogous to those contained in the Indian Forest Act under which certain provisions were made for preservation of the forest area of the state. Section 5 of the Tripura Act enabled the state Government to declare by Notification published in the State Gazette the boundaries of the Forest area to be governed by the state Act. On that basis the Ruler of the state issued few Notifications published in the Tripura Gazette in between 1346 T.E. and 1349 T.E. corresponding to 1936 and 1939 A.D. respectively, by which boundaries of 29 Reserve Forests comprising 1020.05 Sq. miles (2641.93 Sq. Kms) were defined and in accordance with the governance of those above mentioned Reserved Forests was being made and continued. This was done by His Highness the Maharaja Manikya Bahadur considering the interests of the public welfare on the one hand and improvement of forests on the other, after local inspection of the forests as well as after proper inquiry into the local conditions of the people residing inside or close to the forests. A plan was also drawn up for setting apart some hilly areas in each Division for jhuming (shifting cultivation) with a view to stopping encroachment on Reserved Forests. Unfortunately some important area under this plan was subsequently settled with Bengali Muslims. Thirty three species of timber trees were also declared as prohibited trees. For felling of prohibited trees permission was required to be taken and payment of royalty was to be made. Ordinary trees could be used in the territory without permission and without payment of royalty. But unfortunately these restrictions were not strictly observed and enforced by the executive authorities resulting in gradual depletion of forests.

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The Forest and Tahsil (revenue) Department were combined and placed under the management of a Naib-Dewan. Since 1941, when Kumar Sri Brojendra Kishore Deb Barma Bahadur was the Minister, there was much improvement in the management of the forests, Sri Ashit Chandra Choudhury was then the Naib-Dewan. He was succeeded by Sri Jatindra Kumar Mitra, Naib-Dewan. Kumar Sri Nandala Dev Varma Bahadur was the Afforestation Officer under  him who joined his duties in 1936. Subsequently he was the first Conservator of Forests. He was succeeded by Shri S. K. Dutta, Extra Assistant Conservator of Forests, Bengal (Retired) in 1946, who worked upto 1952 as Conservator of Forests. During his time the territory was integrated to the Indian Union.

There was dual control on the Amlighat station located on the Bank of river Feny. Forest produces of this territory and that of Chittagong Hill District used to be exported by the River and Maharaja used to get the apprs share and the British Government six annas of the total revenue collection at the said station. The station used to be managed by the Forest Department of the Government of Bengal in every alternate year. But since August 15, 1947, when the Govt. of East Pakistan succeeded the British Government, the dual management of the Station was stopped. The Pak Govt. opened another station soon on the other side of the river at Alinagar for collection of revenue. Due to this there was fall of revenue at the Amlighat Station. As all the exporters were Pakistanis, they were paying royalty to the Pak station even when the produces were removed from this Territory. The Maharaja’s share of revenue in 1934-35, 1935-36, 1936-37 and 1937-38 was Rs. 31,990/-,  36,360/-, 31,470/- and 41,870/- respectively, while that in 1951-52, 1952-53, 1953-54, 1954-55 and 1955-56 was Rs. 3,581, 1218, 2,2219, 4,127 and 4,159/- respectively.

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