Target set to spend Rs. 1,200 cr urban challenge fund in Tripura in 2 years: Manohar Lal
Union Minister for Power and Housing & Urban Affairs Manohar Lal Khattar on Sunday announced a series of financial allocations and development initiatives for Tripura, including Rs. 100 crore for a waste processing facility in Agartala and Rs. 27 crore for cleanliness and sanitation projects in four major towns of the state.
The announcements were made by the Union Minister at a press conference following a review meeting attended by Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha and Power Minister Ratan Lal Nath at the state guest house in Agartala.
The Union Minister said the Centre has approved Rs. 100 crore for setting up a modern waste processing plant at Debendranagar in West Tripura as part of efforts to strengthen urban sanitation infrastructure in the Northeast. An additional Rs. 27 crore has been sanctioned to maintain high standards of cleanliness and sanitation in Agartala, Dharmanagar, Melaghar and Udaipur, which attract a significant number of tourists.
Khattar said the Centre is also planning a comprehensive toilet survey across Tripura to assess sanitation coverage and identify gaps in urban areas. Further financial assistance for sanitation projects will be considered after completion of the survey.
Highlighting the Centre’s urban development agenda, he said the Urban Challenge Fund envisages investments of Rs. 4 lakh crore across the country, with a target of spending around Rs. 1,200 crore in Tripura over the next two years through joint funding by the Centre and the state government.
The Union Minister also outlined the Centre’s roadmap for strengthening the state's power infrastructure and promoting clean energy. Under the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana, Tripura has been assigned a target of providing rooftop solar power connections to two lakh households by March 2027, he said.
Praising Tripura’s performance in the power sector, Khattar stressed the need to further improve grid efficiency, curb power theft and accelerate the installation of smart meters.
He noted that smart metering could help reduce nearly 26 per cent power losses in the state. He also directed authorities to take stringent action against illegal power connections.
Referring to the national energy strategy, the Union Minister said the Government of India has set a target of generating 300 GW of electricity next year and aims to produce 100 GW of nuclear power by 2047 as part of efforts to diversify energy sources and ensure long-term energy security.
He added that work on expanding inter-state transmission lines is progressing steadily to meet the country's growing power requirements by 2029-30 and commended the Tripura government for its initiatives in urban development and power services.
He emphasised the need for reducing Aggregate Technical and Commercial (AT&C) losses and improving the financial performance of the DISCOMs. He highlighted the need for improving the revenue collections with particular focus on prepaid conversion of meters installed with Government consumers / establishments.
He reviewed the progress of smart metering in the State and advised expeditious implementation. The State committed to conversion of Government consumers to prepaid metering by August, 2026 and completion of pending smart meter works July 2027.
Union Minister of Power assured of continued support and cooperation of the Government of India in the overall development of the State.
At the beginning of the review meeting, Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha said that electricity plays a crucial role in building a developed nation.
He noted that since assuming office in 2014 under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Central Government has been consistently working to strengthen and streamline the country's power generation and distribution systems.
Dr. Saha said that India is becoming increasingly smart in various sectors, and therefore it is essential to modernize and digitize traditional systems to keep pace with development.
The Chief Minister assured that the State would take all necessary measures for expeditious implementation of the works sanctioned for the state and for improving the overall performance of the power sector.
He also highlighted that the present state government is adopting a positive and proactive approach towards the development of urban areas, including the Agartala Municipal Corporation and other towns across the state. Dr. Saha briefed the Union Minister in detail on the initiatives being undertaken in this regard.
