By Firstdespatch Desk Apr 15, 2024
Agartala, Apr 15 (FD) Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday said that development of tribal people in Tripura is the first priority of the BJP led government.
Addressing an election rally in support of the candidate for BJP in East Tripura (ST reserve), Kriti Devi Debbarman, at Kumarghat in Unakoti district the Union Home Minister said, during the Congress led UPA government in the centre Tripura was allocated only Rs. 40,183 crore in 10 years, which shot up to Rs 98,000 crore during the tenure of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Shah said as part of the development initiative the central government is setting up a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) at a cost of Rs 1,550 crore, at Sabroom, the southernmost subdivision in Tripura bordering Bangladesh, which would attract investments and create employment opportunities for the people of the state.
He said, Prime Minister Narendra Modi brought peace in the trouble torn North Eastern region and brought 10,000 youths to the mainstream by facilitating more than 10 accords.
Criticising the erstwhile Left Front Government, which ruled the state for 25 years continuously, Shah said they had handed over guns to the youths, when Prime Minister Modi provided them laptops.
The budget allocation for the Ministry of Tribal Affairs was Rs 24,000 crore before 2014 and it was increased to Rs 1,25,000 crore by the Prime Minister, he added.
Justifying for putting up a candidate from Tripura’s royal family, Kriti Devi Debbarman in the constituency, Shah said the kings had enough contributions for dev
elopments of the state.
He also said that the communist rulers tried to undermine the contribution of ‘Maharaja’ Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya, the last ruler of the Manikya dynasty.
Shah said the Prime Minister gave due respect to the last king and named the newly built airport in his name.
Union Home Minister alleged that the communists and the Congress had indulged in infiltration from across the border, but the NDA government started effective border management by erecting barbed wire fencing which helped containing the menace.
He said, the tripartite agreement signed between the central government, Tripura government and the Tipra Motha in Delhi on February 2 last was historic and had taken care of overall developments of the state’s tribal community.
“This historic agreement has paved the harmony between the communities and ensured the overall development of the state. But the opposition CPI-M was campaigning misinformation”, Shah said.
He said Modi is sincere about development of the tribals and honoured them by presenting a president from tribal community.
The rally was among others attended by Chief Minister Manik Saha, former Chief Minister and West Tripura Lok Sabha constituency candidate Biplab Kumar Deb and royal scion and Tipra Motha supremo, Pradyot Kishore Devbarma. FD JK