9 years of Modi govt: Tripura CM Saha says Northeast undergoing massive development

“There was a mentality of making the poor feel like a burden on development before 2014. We used to have a similar thought here in Tripura as well. PM Modi has shown that the poor can be equal contributors in the development journey,” CM Saha said.

The maxillofacial surgeon-turned-politician also said PM Modi’s decision to provide two Covid-19 vaccines for free to crores of beneficiaries and subsidised medicines through 9,300 Jan Aushadhi Kendras across the country have immensely benefited the people.

Saha said the state government was planning to open more Jan Aushadhi centres in Tripura. At present, the north-eastern state has 20 such outlets.

The chief minister said Tripura along with the rest of the Northeast was on the path of the HIRA (Highways, Internet ways, Railways and Airways) model of development. Notably, PM Modi had coined the popular acronym in one of his poll rallies prior to the 2018 Tripura polls.

Saha said, “Tripura is moving along the path of the HIRA model of development. Development of highways, internet ways, railways and airways has been ushered in Tripura and Northeast India as promised. The Northeast is having a ‘Feel Good’ time.”

While claiming that the BJP-led government follows the principle of ‘Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas’, the chief minister alluded that erstwhile Congress regimes engaged in minority appeasement to promote vote bank politics.

The CM further said that BJP-led governments consider national security to be of paramount importance and the Centre’s decision to carry out surgical strikes has compelled “certain neighbouring countries” to take India seriously, whereas they earlier used to “sever heads of Indian soldiers along the border”.

“Defence production has surpassed Rs 1 lakh crore, armed forces were equipped with cutting edge equipment. Twenty thousand Indians were brought home safely from Syria, Libya, Yemen, Sudan, Nepal, Afghanistan, etc, not to mention lakhs who were brought back during the Covid-19 pandemic. National security is of paramount importance to us. Without it, cultural development… would not be of any use,” CM Saha said.

Chief Minister Saha was joined by state BJP president Rajib Bhattacharjee and Agartala Mayor Dipak Majumder during the media interaction.

Bhattacharjee said party national president J P Nadda has announced a month-long series of events from May 30 to mark the completion of nine years of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rule. He further said, “We shall hold Jan Sampark Abhiyan for a month to spread awareness on the achievements of PM Modi in the last nine years.”

In a press conference later in the evening, Saha also recounted the ‘achievements’ of the BJP-led state government in the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) sector.

He said the state government has been promoting MSMEs, especially in region-specific sectors like industrial development, food processing, rubber, tea, bamboo, handloom, handicrafts, sericulture, tourism and agarwood, and added that a ‘single window clearance’ system was put in place to review investment proposals.

He said Tripura was graded as a “fast mover” for effective implementation of the PM Gati Shakti scheme, and added that Tripura Integrated Logistics Policy, 2022, was framed and notified in January this year.

Saha said Tripura has substantially increased its capital expenditure from Rs 835 crore in 2020-21 to Rs 2,200 crore in 2022-23, a growth of 62 per cent.

Tripura has identified over 2,000 acres of land for industrial development, public-private partnership (PPP), special economic zones (SEZs) and sector-specific projects with support from the Centre and different funding agencies like the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the chief minister said.