AGARTALA, Jan 21: Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Wednesday said that the northeastern state has to play an important role in achieving Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s goal of ‘Viksit Bharat’ (developed India) by 2047.
Speaking at a programme celebrating Tripura’s statehood day, the chief minister said that Modi has set a goal of making India a developed nation by the time the country completes its 100 years of Independence.
“Tripura, one of the ‘Ashtalakshmi’ (term used for the eight states of Northeast), has to play an important role in achieving the PM’s dream of ‘Viksit Bharat’. If the states do not perform, the goal will not be achieved,” he said.
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Saha highlighted the achievement of Tripura becoming the third fully-literate state, after Mizoram and Goa, and said that the small state is also the second in terms of GSDP and per capita income in the Northeast.
“Tripura has drawn Rs 15,800 crore of the total investment promises of Rs 30,000 made during the Rising Northeast summit held in New Delhi last year. The investors chose the state considering its true potential and good law and order,” he said.
Saha said the length of the national highways in the state has increased substantially from 198 km in 2018 to 923 km at present.
“Before 2018, the state had only one national highway with a length of 198 km but now it has six national highways with a total length of 923 km. The 198-km Assam-Agartala national highway will be a four-lane road for seamless flow of traffic along the state’s lifeline,” he said.
Saha said the growth of self-help groups (SHGs) in the state in the last eight years has been changing rural livelihood opportunities.
“The number of SHGs has increased from 6,000 in 2018 to 54,363 in 2025. We have arranged a revolving fund of Rs 700 crore. Also, 1.08 lakh women have been made ‘Lakhpati Didis’ out of the total target of 1.18 lakh. The SHGs are transforming the rural economy,” he said.
The SHGs are working under the Tripura Rural Livelihood Mission (TRLM).
Saha said the northeastern state also witnessed massive development in the healthcare sector, with new medical institutions coming up. “A Manipur-based healthcare organisation is set to invest Rs 900 crore in the state by setting up a super-speciality hospital and medical college. The number of MBBS seats in the state has also increased to 450, and it will further go up,” he said. (PTI)
