Tripura has taken a significant step toward holistic rural development with the launch of the Model Village Initiative under the World Bank–funded Tripura Rural Economic Growth and Service Delivery Project (TRESP). The initiative aims to accelerate inclusive and sustainable growth in tribal areas through structured, community-driven development planning that reflects local needs and priorities.
To initiate the programme, the State Institute of Public Administration and Rural Development (SIPARD) is conducting a three-day Training of Trainers (ToT) workshop on Model Village Development Planning from January 20 to February 22. The workshop has brought together 40 participants, including officials from TRESP, Tripura Rural Livelihood Mission (TRLM), Animal Resources Development, Fisheries, Agriculture and Panchayat departments, along with grassroots functionaries such as Pashu Sakhi, Matsya Sakhi and Krishi Sakhi.
Five SIPARD resource persons and community representatives from five development blocks are also participating in the training. These trained master trainers will lead awareness drives, participatory planning exercises and coordination efforts from February onwards. Their work will culminate in the preparation of Village Development Plans (VDPs) in four blocks of West Tripura district and Jampuijala block in Sepahijala district.
Deliberations during the workshop highlighted the importance of aligning tribal village development with national flagship schemes such as the Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan and the Pradhan Mantri Adi Adarsh Gram Yojana. The planning framework focuses on integrated development based on local socio-economic conditions, infrastructure gaps and long-term livelihood opportunities.
As part of the pilot phase, intensive community mobilization and training activities will be carried out in Lefunga, Belbari, Mandai, Hezamara and Jampuijala blocks. Based on the learnings, the initiative will be scaled up to cover 23 tribal blocks across all eight districts of Tripura.
The programme is being coordinated by Dr. Rajib Malakar, Nodal Officer and Assistant Professor at SIPARD, with overall training and planning led by Abdur Rahman Choudhury, Training Specialist, and supported by Arpita Bhattacharjee, Training Manager. Officials described the initiative as a transformative approach to empower communities and improve living standards through inclusive and participatory rural development.
