Agartala: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that Tripura was earlier known for conflict but after the BJP came to power in 2018, it is now known for development, connectivity and cleanliness.
In an oblique reference to previous governments under Left and Congress, PM Modi said, “For decades, Tripura was governed by political parties that focused on negativity and opportunism, causing suffering for the people of the state, particularly those from disadvantaged sections of society such as women, youth, and farmers. These parties misused resources for their own benefit or left them unutilized, rather than working for the benefit of the people.”
Heaping praise on the double-engine government, he said that after BJP’s “double-engine” government came to power in 2018 and freed the state from “politics full of negativity”.
“They (opposition) are masters in spreading negativity, pulling the reverse gear when the state needed an escalator,” he said.
Prime Minister Modi also inaugurated a series of projects alongside the Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister, and other senior leaders of the party.
These projects included the Griha Pravesh programme for 2.05 lakh beneficiaries under the PM Awas Yojana, the State Institute of Hotel Management, the widening of the Agartala By-pass road, and the Agartala Government Dental College. He also laid the foundation stone of 32 roads of a total 323 km length under PMGSY-III, and 112 road projects with 542 km length.
From the development perspective, Modi said, “Earlier, Tripura used to be a point of discussion if any violent incident took place in the state or when the polls were conducted. Today, Tripura is a part and parcel of mainstream discussion because of its growing importance in the Northeast region.”
He said the 15-km-long Agartala-Akhaura railway project to connect Northeast with Bangladesh would be completed next year.
“Crores of rupees have been invested in infrastructure after the BJP came to power in Tripura. National Highways are getting a massive facelift,” he said, adding that new possibilities are beckoning the state after an international standard airport has come up.
The Prime Minister also conveyed a message to the tribal voters. According to the Prime Minister, the Bharatiya Janata Party has become the only national party having substantial clout among the tribal voters of the country.
“The BJP has changed the vote bank politics of tribal areas. The overall development of the tribal communities is one of the priorities of the BJP. In the recently concluded Gujarat elections, tribal voters showed their full support towards the BJP. Out of 27 total scheduled tribe reserved seats, BJP won 24. The message is loud and clear: BJP is the first preference of tribal voters in India,” he said.
Throwing light on the development initiatives undertaken for tribals, he said, “Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee started a separate ministry for the Janajatis. And, when we came to power in 2014, we doubled the scholarship for tribal students. There were around eight to nine forest products that were procured through MSP which has increased to over 90 now. The network of Eklavya Model Residential Schools has also been expanded from below 100 to over 500; As many as 20 schools are sanctioned for Tripura alone. Museums are being built dedicated to 10 tribal freedom fighters across the country. The Janajati Gaurav Diwas is also being observed in a grand way this year.”
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Thanking the people who gathered in huge numbers to attend the rally, Modi said, “The development of Tripura is visible now. The SHG groups are doing great work in pushing the rural economy forward. The agricultural goods of the state are being exported to countries like Bangladesh, Germany and Dubai. The peace that has been restored in the state will move the state towards the top performing states of the country.”
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