Tripura assured of Rs 2587 cr schemes and projects : Deb

Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb today said the Centre has assured Rs 2,587 crore to the state for different schemes and projects to overcome its financial crisis and part of it would be released as early as next week.

There is outstanding liability of over Rs 11000 crore inherited from the previous Left Front government, the BJP-led government had announced recently.

"Different union ministers have assured us of full cooperation and expressed their willingness to grant funds in different schemes," Deb told a press conference.

Deb and Deputy Chief Minister Jishnu Devbarman had met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and different union ministers in Delhi in the past two days.

The chief minsiter said he was assured that a total Rs 2587 crore for different schemes and projects would sanctioned. He, however, did not elaborate.

"We have made particular demand to the ministry of rural development for release of stalled funds in MGNREGA. Rs 241 crore, which was stalled due to absence of utilisation certificate, was assured to be released by next week", he said adding Rs 350 crore of special plan assistance funds, which too was stalled, was assured to be released shortly.

Apart from this, Rs 1,320 crore of externally aided projects would also be implemented in the state in the next few years, he said.

Deb said the government has assessed that 12,200 new jobs would be created in the state in the next three years.

A Central Institute of Plastics Engineering and Technology (CIPET) named after Maa Tripureswari, Tripuras royal deity, would be started in April and a plastic technology park would also come up.

The technology park, he said, is expected to employ more than 5000 people.

He alleged that huge funds were stalled from the Centre as the previous Left Front government could not furnish proper utilisation certificates due to corruption.

Deb, who is also the Tripura hime minister, said that 75 km of states total 856 km-long Indo-Bangla international border was yet to be fenced and had become a corridor for smuggling of drugs. The fencing work would be soon completed.

"Bangladesh too has expressed concern over smuggling of drugs. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh assured to sanction funds to cover the unfenced area soon," he said.

On the implementation of centrally sponsored housing schemes including the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, Deb said Rs 292 crore was withheld due to failure of the previous LF government in furnishing proper utilisation certificate.