Agartala, Aug 17, 2022, TRIPURATIMES Desk
Agartala, Aug 17: Tripura Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha passed an instruction to the Industries and Commerce department to work with a target to transform the state into an Economic Hub.
Addressing a review meeting, he said there are many scopes to make the state an economic hub; maximum importance should be given to the development of industries.
The Department of Industries and Commerce need to work with a positive attitude in taking the state forward economically through the development of industries.
The Chief Minister was addressing a review meeting of the Industries and Commerce department at the civil secretariat on Tuesday.
The Chief Minister said, with the aim of increasing the income of the state, importance should also be given to export of local products.
Dr. Saha took a thorough review of the various projects being implemented by the Department of Industries and Commerce. Prime Minister Gati Shakti scheme was also discussed in the review meeting.
Secretary of the Industries and Commerce department- Abhishek Chandra said that the Prime Minister Gati Shakti National Master Plan was launched on October 13, 2021 for the development of integrated infrastructure in various economic regions of the country.
Implementation of infrastructure and communication related projects of different states are monitored digitally. For this, it is necessary to upload the projects on infrastructure & communication of different states on the BISAG-N portal, he said.
He also said that the department has prepared and sent the outline of 8 projects for the financial year 2022-23 under the Prime Minister Gati Shakti. Out of which, Rs. 35 crore has been allocated for 4 projects on priority basis.
Highlighting the success of the Department of Industry and Commerce in the last 4 years, the secretary said that the online single window SWAAGAT portal has been launched in 2020 to simplify the process of setting up industries in the state.
Destination Tripura Business Summit was organized on 9th and 10th December last year. Three new Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) were inaugurated at Kanchanpur, Gandacherra and Shantirbazar. Besides, Tripura Industrial Investment Promotion Incentive Scheme has been launched in the current year.
He said, in the last 4 years, loans of Rs. 251 crore have been given to 3,926 people through different banks under the Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme. Another 8,303 people have been given loans of Rs. 229.35 crore under Swabalamban scheme.
He said that the amount of foreign trade with Bangladesh has increased by 158 percent in the last 4 years. In the financial year 2017-18, where the amount of foreign trade was Rs. 390.68 crore, it has increased to Rs. 1008.40 crore in the financial year 2021-22.
Trade with Bangladesh is mainly taking place through 8 land customs stations and one integrated check post in the state, he said.
In the review meeting, the secretary also discussed about Tripura Bamboo Mission, Rubber Processing, Tea Industry, Food Processing, Natural Gas etc.
Minister for Industries and Commerce Santana Chakma, Chief Secretary J.K Sinha, Director of Industries and Commerce Swapna Debnath, Additional Director Kaizer Debbarma and other senior officials of the department were present in the meeting.