Tripura CM tells NEC : Govt going for Branding 'RISHA', focusing on Agar tree as earning avenue
Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb while speaking at the 69th NEC plenary session strongly demanded changing the funding patterns to ease burden of State share in view of fund constraints that the NE States were facing. However, despite limitations, Tripura Government is trying to optimize its scale of operations – a favourable change in fund pattern will create opportunities to expedite scheme implementations. Highlighting plans and achievements of his Government, Deb pointed out:
Tripura Govt is taking step for branding of RISHA
Govt eyeing at Agar for income generation
Rs. 500 crore plan sent to ADB for Tourism
Swanirbhar Parivar Yojana to benefit 6 lakh rural families
State’s Per Capita Income up by 23 pc
In his speech during the NEC plenary meet in Shillong, Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb mentioned that the state government had laid emphasis on the production and marketing of indigenous handloom and handicrafts products and steps were already taken for branding the traditional “RISHA” under India Handloom Brand (IHB) and providing uniform to Anganwadi and Asha Workers.
Deb also said that the state government had made an elaborate plan for marketing Agar harvested from estimated 51 lakh Agar Trees of Tripura.
“Agar (Aquilaria Malaccensis) is the State Tree of Tripura which produces the valuable substance Agar and the product is expected to generate income of Rs.2000 crore over the next two to three years,” he said.
Meanwhile, he said, the state government had sent a proposal of Rs. 500 crore to the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for development of tourism infrastructure in Tripura.
He pointed out that enriched by natural beauty, Tripura has tremendous tourism potential and is blessed with several religious tourist spots.
“The number of tourists in Tripura has increased by 11.06 percent-- from 5, 29,815 in 2018-19 to 5, 86,135 in 2019-20,” Deb claimed.
He also stated that with a view to promote tourism, Tripura Tourism Policy 2020-25 was introduced in February 2020. The policy would provide a suitable system for promoting Public Private Partnerships (PPP) in Tripura.
In the meantime, the Chief Minister while highlighting the achievements of his government also claimed that the Per Capita Income of the state had increased by 23 percent-- from Rs. 1,00,444 in 2017-18 to Rs. 1,23,630 in 2019-20, indicating marked improvement of living standard and well-being of the people of Tripura.
Deb also spoke on two major schemes- While Mukhyamantri Swanirbhar Yojana was already launched, the other scheme Mukhyamantri Swanirbhar Parivar Yojana was in the queue.
‘Mukhyamantri Swanirbhar Parivar Yojana’ aims at improving livelihood and induce self-sufficiency among the rural people through income generation under primary sector activities by distributing inputs in the areas like agriculture, horticulture, fisheries and animal husbandry.
Under this scheme, every eligible family would be assisted to take up cultivation of fruits, vegetables, poultry, fish culture, animal rearing, flower growing, etc benefiting around six lakh rural families.
The Mukhyamantri Swanirbhar Yojana has been launched in the state for the speedy recovery of the businesses of Urban Shopkeepers who had a significant impact on their businesses due to COVID-19 pandemic.
The scheme aims to benefit Urban Shopkeepers/Traders/Street Vendors by providing Trade Licence, Insurance Coverage, Loans from SC/ST/OBC/Minority Development Corporation of the state. The programme is being implemented in 20 ULBs of the state. As of now, 230 Camps were conducted with the involvement of Line Departments, Insurance Companies for the benefits of Urban Shopkeepers/Traders and Street Vendors.