Page 2 - Tripura

Tripura CM urges security agencies to coordinate amid Indo-Pak conflict

Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Saturday said he has urged security agencies in the state to maintain coordination among them to deal with any untoward situation, amid India-Pakistan military conflict. Saha's comment comes a day after a high-level meeting between the chief minister and the representatives of the Army, BSF, CRPF and the state police was held to review the security measures. The CM said he had a meeting with the representatives of central and state security agencies. "I told the security agencies to maintain coordination among them to deal with any kind of situation. Instruction was also given to maintain strict vigil along the state's border with Bangladesh," he said. Saha said the Centre has already sent a standard operating procedure to the state, amid the military conflict between India and Pakistan. "The Centre has already sent a list of dos and don'ts for the states in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack and its subsequent development. Our securit

Reliance Jio keen to invest in IT sector in Tripura: CM Manik Saha

Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Saturday said that Reliance Industries Jio is keen to invest in the Information Technology sector in the state. A company delegation met the chief minister and discussed the state's potential in the industrial sector. Saha in a post on Facebook said he had earlier met Mukesh Ambai, chairman and managing director of Reliance Industries, in Mumbai and Assam, and requested "him to support our vision for viksit (developed) Tripura". He said a team led by the North Eastern Zone Business Head of Reliance Jio visited the state during the day to explore investment opportunities in key sectors like IT and IT-enabled services, data centres, besides natural gas exploration and fertilizer production, petroleum, ethanol production from bamboo, rubber wood furniture, agro-food processing and tourism. "Their enthusiasm for the IT sector, in particular, is very exciting! Looking forward to collaboration with Reliance Group of Industries for transforming Tripura

Tripura to boost nursing education for global opportunities: CM Manik Saha

CM Saha said this after felicitating six candidates as Nursing Caregivers under the Specified Skill Workers Scheme at TIFT

Tripura govt inks MoU with IHCL for development of Taj Pushpavanta Hotel

The Tripura government on Friday took a significant step in order to boost the tourism in the state by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL) for the development of the Taj Pushpavanta Palace Hotel in presence of CM Manik Saha.The Taj Pushpavanta Palace Hotel is a five-star hotel with four exclusive rooms and a touch of the royal era.Taking to social media X, the CM in a post wrote, "A significant step towards boosting tourism in Tripura. Glad to be present during the signing of MoU between the Government of Tripura and Indian Hotels Company Ltd. (IHCL) for development of Taj Pushpavanta Palace Hotel.""This world-class 5-star hotel with four exclusive rooms & touch of royal era will be a milestone in the State's history, enabling the people from the world to know more about the Maharajas of Tripura," the post read.Earlier in the day, the CM flagged off district mobile forensic vans and stated that the initiative would aid in ...

Have asked Centre to lift cap on borrowing for big projects: Tripura CM

Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Tuesday said the state government has approached the Centre to lift the cap on borrowing as it will take up big projects. As part of prudent fiscal management, the Centre has allowed Rs 4,000 crore borrowing for Tripura in the next three years. While speaking at a programme in Udaipur, the chief minister said the state's budget was pegged at Rs 27,800 crore for the current fiscal (2024-25) and only Rs 10,000 crore remain left after meeting non-plan expenditures like salary, pension, loan and interest on loan. "Of the Rs 10,000 crore, the state needs to provide 25 per cent to Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADCA) and 10 per cent to urban local bodies," he said. Saha said the Centre has allowed the state to borrow Rs 4,000 crore for the next three fiscals. "We want the Centre to lift the borrowing cap of Tripura as the state is set to take up big projects with the investors coming for setting up business. The state has alread

Tripura CPI(M) leader slams BJP for failing to deliver on poll promises

Tripura CPI(M) leader Jitendra Chaudhury on Saturday alleged the BJP-led government in the state failed to deliver on its promises during its seven-year rule in the state. Once considered a Left bastion, the northeastern state got its first BJP government in 2018. "Prior to the 2018 Assembly elections, the BJP had promised to provide 50,000 jobs in the first year if it was voted to power. Now, its leaders are silent on it," Chaudhury, who is also the leader of the opposition in the state Assembly, said during a press conference. He said the then BJP national president Amit Shah had promised to provide 200 mandays with Rs 340 wage under MGNREGA if the BJP won the elections. "The party won the election but it has not kept the promise. Nowadays, an average of 40 mandays are being generated in the state. Job card holders are not getting payment on a regular basis even after performing their duties," he said. Chaudhury alleged, "The BJP had befooled the government employees with the ..

Vedanta to invest Rs 50,000 cr oil, gas in Assam, Tripura over 3-4 yrs

Mining major Vedanta Group chairman Anil Agarwal on Tuesday announced that it will pump in Rs 50,000 crore in Assam and Tripura's oil and gas sector over the next 3-4 years. Speaking at the inaugural function of the Advantage Assam investment summit here, he said group firm Cairn Oil & Gas has already invested around Rs 2,500 crore in the two states of the northeast region. "Assam has abundant natural resources and potential to become the world's mega basin. We are poised to play a pivotal role in Assam's sustainable growth and development," he said. Agarwal said that the company has firmed up plans to "invest Rs 50,000 crore in Assam and Tripura's oil and gas sector over the next 3-4 years". "With such an investment, we will produce 1,00,000 barrels of oil and gas per day, making the region a dominant hydrocarbon hub. It will also create direct and indirect employment opportunities for 1 lakh youths," he added.

Tripura has started using AI to identify tax evaders, says CM Manik Saha

Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Saturday said the state has been using artificial intelligence (AI) to identify tax evaders and will take action against them. While addressing GST 'Jaagrookta Abhiyan' at Prajna Bhavan, the chief minister said the tax collection plays a key role in accelerating development in the northeastern state. "Of the state's annual budget of Rs 27,800 crore in the 2024-25 financial year, its own revenue stands at Rs 3,700 crore. Only Rs 10,000 crore remained after meeting the non-plan expenditure- salary, pension, loan and interest of loan. The state needs to pay 25 per cent of its own revenue (Rs 3,700 crore) to Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) and 10 per cent to Urban Local Bodies (ULBs)," he said. Emphasising on more tax collection by preventing evasion, the chief minister said the development depends on the tax collection. "If there is more tax, there will be more development. The government is taking all possible steps to ..

Tripura conclave secures business deals worth Rs 3,683 cr for state

The Tripura government on Saturday said that 87 Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) valued at Rs 3,683 crore were signed in the business conclave that concluded on February 8. Addressing the 'Destination Tripura: Business Conclave-2025' here, Chief Minister Manik Saha urged investors to set up industries in the northeastern state. "Though Tripura is the third smallest state in the country, it has enormous resources to offer for setting up industries. Natural gas, tea, rubber, bamboo and agar are the resources which could be used for commercial purposes," Saha said. Asserting that the northeastern state has agar plantations covering over 2000 hectares in non-forest area, the chief minister said the state also produces over 1 lakh MT of raw rubber annually. Saha also informed the industrial houses of the state's infrastructure for business, especially in Sabroom. "Maitri Setu, connecting Tripura's Sabroom with Bangladesh's Ramgarh has been constructed. The distance between Maitri Setu

Bank Holidays 2025: Are banks open or closed today, Jan 23, in your state?

Bank holidays in India vary by region. This Thursday, all public and private banking institutions will be closed in observance of Parakram Diwas and Vir Surendra Sai Jayanti

Will take up Bangladesh embankment issue with Centre: Tripura CM Saha

Chief Minister Manik Saha on Wednesday assured the Tripura Assembly he will take up with the Centre the issue of Bangladesh government's move to build a massive embankment opposite Kailashahar subdivision in the state's Unakoti district. The assurance came after Congress legislator Birajit Sinha drew Saha's attention on the matter. "The Bangladesh government has been constructing a massive embankment opposite Kailashahar. We have a 40-year-old embankment at Rangaoti. If our embankment is not strengthened on an urgent basis, people will suffer in case of floods," Singh said. State's fisheries minister Sudhangshu Das, who hails from Unakoti district, said the matter is international and a few patches of the India-Bangladesh border in Tripura are still unfenced leading to cattle smuggling in bordering areas. "This is an international matter. I have already sent reports to Delhi suggesting strengthening of embankments. I will refer the matter to the Centre again", Saha assured.

16th Finance Commission team to arrive in Tripura on Jan 29: Official

The full team of the 16th Finance Commission, headed by its chairman Arvind Panagariya, is expected to arrive here on January 29 for a four-day visit to Tripura, an official said on Saturday. During their visit to the northeastern state, they will meet Chief Minister Manik Saha and hold discussions with government officials and other stakeholders to learn about the wish list of Tripura, state Finance Secretary Apurba Roy told PTI. "The Finance Commission's full team will hold meetings with top officials of the Tripura administration to learn about the state's wish list," Roy said. The commission will also hold meetings with representatives of local urban bodies, including Agartala Municipal Corporation (AMC), Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC), and delegations from the political parties to know their demands and views. The panel will examine the fund requirement for the state's non-plan expenditure for the five years starting from April 1, 2026, another offic

Bangladesh's situation discussed in NEC plenary meet, says Tripura CM

Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Wednesday said he had presented a report on Bangladesh's situation at the recent plenary session of the North Eastern Council (NEC). The regional planning body's plenary session was held in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah and DoNER Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia here on December 21. While addressing a press conference, the chief minister said there was a discussion on the present situation of Bangladesh at the NEC plenary conference. Bangladesh shares a 4,096-km international boundary with India, and of which, the neighbouring country has an 1879-km border with four northeastern states- Tripura (856 km), Mizoram (318 km), Meghalaya (443 km) and Assam (318 km). I have presented a report on the situation in Bangladesh and mentioned details of barbed wire fencing, and the strength of BSF, CRPF and police. I also place our demands which need to be done," he said. Claiming that the NEC plenary meeting was successful, Saha said the ...

Bangladesh turmoil casts shadow on key connectivity projects in Tripura

The sudden collapse of the Sheikh Hasina government in Bangladesh has cast a shadow on key connectivity and trade projects in Tripura, which is likely to have far-reaching implications on the northeastern state's growth engine in the year ahead. Dark clouds of uncertainty loom large on the fate of 'Maitri Setu' (friendship bridge), built over River Feni in South Tripura's Sabroom sub-division, despite its joint inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his the then Bangladeshi counterpart, Sheikh Hasina, in March 2021. The 1.9-km-long bridge, constructed at a cost of Rs 133 crore, promises a shorter and more economical alternate connectivity between the Northeast and Kolkata via Chittagong and Mongla ports in Bangladesh with Sabroom as a gateway to the Southeast Asian nations. However, barely days before passenger movement between India and Bangladesh through the bridge was scheduled to be flagged off, a deadly student uprising in August threw the country into disarray and ..

Bangladesh owes Tripura Rs 200 cr in unpaid electricity bills, say CM Saha

Bangladesh owes Tripura Rs 200 crore in electricity dues but no decision has been taken on halting power supply to the neighbouring country yet, Chief Minister Manik Saha said on Monday. Tripura supplies 60-70 megawatts of power to the neighbouring country according to an agreement signed by the Tripura State Electricity Corporation Limited through the NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam Limited with the Bangladesh Power Development Board. "Bangladesh has not paid us about Rs 200 crore for supplying electricity. The outstanding (amount) is increasing every day. We hope that they will clear their dues so that the power supply is not disrupted," Saha told PTI here in an interview. Asked whether the Tripura government would stop the supply of electricity if Dhaka fails to pay the dues, the chief minister said no decision has been taken on it yet. He said several pieces of machinery at the power generation plant in Tripura were brought through either Bangladeshi territory or Chittagong port. ...

Tripura remained backward during Left rule, BJP brought development: Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday hit out at Left parties for turning Tripura into a "backward" state during their 35-year rule and said it could witness progress only after the BJP assumed power in 2018. Addressing a public meeting here after visiting a village where displaced Bru tribals were rehabilitated, Shah said that Tripura remained behind on all parameters of development during the communist rule but is now moving forward on the path of progress. "For 35 years, the communists ruled Tripura. The communists claimed that they worked for the welfare of the poor. The Congress also ruled Tripura for a considerable time. But the people of the state always remained poor. It was when the BJP came to power that Tripura could witness development," he said. Shah said when he visited Tripura in 2017 as BJP president and stayed for five days, only 11 people took party membership. "Gradually we started our work. We worked hard and could oust the communists from power" after toiling

99% of Tripura villages now have banking access within 5 km: CM Saha

CM Saha stated that Tripura has achieved complete financial inclusion, with every village in the state now having access to a banking touchpoint or outlet, in line with the National Strategy

Home minister Amit Shah to chair NEC meet in Agartala on December 21

Union Home Minister Amit Shah is scheduled to chair the plenary session of the North Eastern Council (NEC) here on Saturday, an official said. DoNER minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, along with governors, chief ministers of all eight Northeastern states, and senior officials, will also attend the meet. "Union home minister Amit Shah is scheduled to arrive here on Friday to chair the 72nd plenary session of the NEC to be held at Prajna Bhavan on Saturday," West Tripura district magistrate Vishal Kumar told PTI on Thursday. In addition to the NEC plenary, Shah will hold a bankers' meeting to review financial inclusion, credit delivery, priority sector lending, and digital inclusion, he added. Shah will also visit the Bru (Reang) settlement camp at Bruhapara and address a public meeting at Masuraipara in Dhalai district on Sunday, director of information and cultural affairs department, Bimbisar Bhattacharjee, said in a press communiqu on Wednesday. This will be the first time since the

Tripura CM Saha invites investors to tap into state's growth potential

Addressing Northeast Trade and Investment Roadshow in Mumbai's Colaba on Monday, CM Saha expressed his gratitude to the MDoNER for providing a platform to enhance investment and business opportunities

Tripura to have 114,000 'Lakhpati Didis' by end of current FY: CM

Lauding the Tripura Rural Livelihood Mission (TRLM) for spearheading women empowerment, Chief Minister Manik Saha on Saturday asserted that the northeastern state will have 1.14 lakh 'Lakhpati Didis' by the end of the current fiscal. At present, the state has 83,000 'Lakhpati Didis' who earn Rs 1 lakh or more annually by engaging themselves in activities of self-help groups (SHGs). While addressing the inaugural programme of SARAS Mela at Badharghat International Fair Ground in West Tripura district, the chief minister said the success of SHGs has changed the rural economy over the last few years. "The number of SHGs, which was only 4,000 before 2018, has now increased to 52,000. Altogether, 4.73 lakh rural women got engaged in various self-employment trades. The government has allocated Rs 69 crore as revolving fund so far (after the BJP came to power in Tripura) and Rs 626.97 crore community investment fund has been channelised to the SHGs," Saha said. Showering praise on the rol