Agartala, Jan 22: Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Tuesday said the state recorded the second-highest Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) among the northeastern states.
Addressing the statehood day programme at Rabindra Bhavan here, the CM asserted that the state has been benefiting from the double-engine government over the years.
“When devastating floods hit the state in September last year, the Centre helped us tide over the situation. When trouble broke out in Manipur in May 2023, the civil aviation minister arranged a special flight to evacuate Tripura’s students from there,” he said.
“Be it GSDP or Sustainable Development Growth (SDG), the state is developing rapidly. We have transformed Tripura into a front-runner, fast-moving state according to the NITI Aayog report for 2023-24,” he claimed.
Saha explained that the state’s annual budget is pegged at around Rs 27,000 crore, while their own revenue stands at Rs 3,700 crore. “After meeting the non-plan expenditure, Rs 10,000 crore remains for development. Of the remaining funds, we need to allocate 25 per cent to the Tripura Tribal Areas District Council (TTAADC) and 10 per cent to Urban Local Bodies (ULBs). However, this does not hinder the development works, as the state continues to receive funds under different central government-sponsored schemes,” he added.
The CM expressed gratitude towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for their contributions to the development of Tripura and the Northeast. “The Prime Minister encourages us to bring a big container to secure a larger allocation. If you bring a small kitty, you will receive less funding,” he remarked.
Saha also alleged that a section of people has been trying to create unrest amid the peaceful conditions in the state. “There had been attempts to create unrest at Gandacherra in Dhalai district, but we were able to bring the situation under control within four days. Similar attempts were made in Kadamtala in North Tripura district and Kaiturbari in West Tripura, but they did not succeed,” he said.(PTI)
