ADB granted ₹975 cr loan for building infra in Tripura's 9 industrial areas

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has granted a loan amounting to ₹975.26 crore for building infrastructure in nine industrial areas in Tripura, an official said on Monday.

Tripura Industrial Development Corporation (TIDC) Chairman Nabadal Banik said building of industrial sheds, power substations, underground electric lines, fire service stations and 34 roads will be taken up under the project.

"The ADB has sanctioned a loan amounting to ₹975.26 crore to build world-class infrastructure for development in nine industrial belts in Tripura. The implementation is underway", he told PTI.

Industrial areas in Bodhjungnagar, R K Nagar, Dukli and AN Nagar are among the nine zones, he said.

Banik said the state government has handed over plots for setting up industrial areas at Santirbazar (127 acres) in South Tripura and Fatikroy (28 acres) in Unakoti district.

"The TIDC has already begun demarcation work to undertake infrastructure building in the two new areas. We are ensuring that no land allocated for industries remains unused for a long period of time," he said.

According to him, the TIDC has recovered 28 acres of land from 24 dormant industrial units because new entrepreneurs are coming up to set up industries in the northeastern state.

Banik said the corporation has taken a new initiative to promote the plywood industry.

Currently, two plywood-making units are operational in the state, and seven more are in the pipeline, he said.

"Tripura has a rubber plantation area of 1,10,000 hectares and out of which, around 10,000 hectares are senile. We have taken an initiative to promote rubber wood-based plywood. If these projects are implemented, Tripura will be one of the leading states in plywood manufacturing," he said.

Senile rubber plantation refers to trees that are considered old and unproductive.