Tripura rolls out Rs 105.73 crore development projects, CM Manik Saha outlines growth agenda

Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on July 14 said the state government is prioritising development and public welfare, adding that it is working in line with the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi while expanding infrastructure and strengthening healthcare services.

Speaking after inaugurating 11 development projects worth Rs 105.73 crore at Rajarshi Hall in Udaipur under Gomati district, Saha said, "Our main agenda is development." He said both the BJP-led state government and the Centre have focused on development and the implementation of welfare schemes.

Highlighting the government's healthcare initiatives, Saha said non-communicable diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), cancer, chronic kidney disease (CKD) and alcoholic fatty liver disease account for a large number of deaths, with Tripura also affected.

"We must identify the diseases before they start," he said, adding that the government is conducting annual health screenings for residents above the age of 30 with a target of screening 15 lakh people each year.

Saha said the state has launched initiatives including the Mukhyamantri Niramaya Arogya Abhiyan, Lab Network and the Stop Diarrhoea programme under a hub-and-spoke model to improve access to healthcare. He said the expanded laboratory network has reduced the need for patients to travel outside the state for diagnostic tests.

He also said a newly inaugurated civil hospital, which began with 50 beds, now has all major departments and will provide outpatient services round the clock. If the model proves successful, similar facilities will be developed in the remaining 19 municipal and Nagar Panchayat areas.

"We will develop government hospitals like corporate-style hospitals," he said.

The Chief Minister said the government has accelerated infrastructure development through increased capital expenditure.

"Last financial year, I inaugurated and laid foundation stones for projects worth Rs 1,500 crore, and in this financial year, till now, over Rs 121 crore," he said, adding that Rs 10,000 crore has been earmarked for infrastructure development.

"This government only thinks about the public," he added.

Referring to the Centre's development strategy, Saha said the HIRA model introduced by Prime Minister Modi has contributed to Tripura's growth. He said the implementation of flagship central and state government schemes has improved public welfare, while the state's Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) has registered significant growth.

Saha also said Tripura has received more than 350 national awards and that several projects are being implemented with a focus on future generations.