Agartala, Sept 20: Chief Minister Prof. Dr. Manik Saha on Friday criticized the previous government for failing to address the basic needs of the people in the state.
He said, the current state government has given special priority to meet basic needs of the people including access to clean drinking water for all.
Apart from the successful implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission in rural areas, the state government has planned to ensure drinking water supply to 100 percent of homes in urban areas, said Dr. Saha.
He was addressing the gathering after laying the foundation stone of water supply improvement projects for 12 towns under the Mukhyamantri Nagar Unnayan Prakalpa at Rajarshi Town Hall, Udaipur.
The Chief Minister highlighted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has always prioritized development.
“The Prime is leading the country forward. PM Modi always says ‘Ek Bharat, Shrestha Bharat’. And, there is a need for Shrestha State for achieving the goal. In this direction, we are also working towards building Ek Tripura, Shrestha Tripura. Tripura is also moving towards development,” the Chief Minister said.
He mentioned that no initiative was taken to fulfil the basic needs of the people during the previous government. They only blamed the Centre.
“The development of the state has been accelerated since Narendra Modi took charge as the Prime Minister. He gave us HIRA model, ensuring various benefits to the people,” the Chief Minister commented.
Dr. Saha expressed satisfaction with the Urban Development Department’s initiative, stating, “I am very happy that the Urban Development Department has taken such an initiative. The state now has 13 Municipal Councils, 6 Nagar Panchayats, and one Municipal Corporation. To improve the city, we need proper roads, water supply, and drainage systems. Development is never possible if these are not properly arranged. Both central and state governments are always working in that direction, and purified drinking water is a key part of this. An iron removal plant is essential for this, and I have emphasized its importance in various meetings.”
He further revealed that a financial allocation of Rs 530 crore has been earmarked in collaboration with the Asian Development Bank for the expansion of drinking water systems in 12 towns of the state under the Mukhyamantri Nagar Unnayan Prakalpa (MM-NUP).
He said, this project will be implemented within three years. The initiative taken by the Urban Development department should be closely monitored to ensure proper implementation. Besides, public representatives and concerned departments must remain vigilant.
“Approximately 4 lakh people from 75,000 families will benefit from this project. Every household will receive a drinking water connection. Additionally, a total of 18 kilometers of roads and 48 kilometers of drains will be constructed as part of this project, which will also improve transportation and drainage systems,” said Dr. Saha.
He expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for this project.
The project will be implemented on a cluster basis across several towns, including Khowai, Mohanpur, Ranirbazar, Bisramganj, Melaghar, Udaipur, Amarpur, Belonia, Kumarghat, Dharmanagar, Kailashahar, and Ambassa.
For this, around 305 kilometers of pipelines will be laid, approximately 25 deep tubewells will be installed, and 18 iron removal plants will be set up. Additionally, four water treatment plants and 19 overhead reservoirs will be constructed. The “double engine” government at both the state and central levels is working to ensure that there is no deficiency in the welfare of the people.
Finance Minister Prananjit Singha Roy, MLA Abhishek Debroy, Urban Development Department Secretary Abhishek Singh, Gomati District Magistrate Tarit Kanti Chakma, Urban Development Department Director Rajat Pant, and other dignitaries were present at the event.
