Tripura, 15 May 2025: Chief Minister Prof. (Dr.) Manik Saha has once again urged the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DONER) to intervene in the establishment of an All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in the state. The appeal was made during the second high-level virtual meeting of the DONER Ministry, chaired by Union DONER Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia. Joining the meeting from the State Secretariat, the Chief Minister was accompanied by Chief Secretary J. K. Sinha and secretaries and senior officials of various state departments.
During the meeting, CM Saha raised several key demands including the initiation of international flight services from Agartala’s MBB Airport, declaration of the existing Gymnastics Academy in the state as a National Gymnastics Academy, necessary upgrades to National Highway-06, and concessional pricing for natural gas. He emphasized the state’s vision of encouraging industrialization by developing a skilled workforce. The Chief Minister also called for fast-tracking infrastructure development projects underway in Tripura and mentioned that the state has witnessed significant growth in Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) and per capita income, positioning itself as a front-runner state in the region.
Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia appreciated Tripura’s notable progress in areas such as GSDP, per capita income, and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). He highlighted the importance of including the historic Unakoti tourism site in the North East Tourism Circuit and emphasized operationalizing 19-seater aircraft services from Kailashahar Airport.
He assured DONER Ministry’s support for promoting palm cultivation and advised identifying key sectors related to development and employment generation for strategic promotion. Kiran Gitte, Secretary of the Good Governance Department, presented a detailed visual report on the state’s initiatives taken in response to the last DONER meeting.
His presentation covered developments in the health sector, modernization of ITIs, creation of integrated logistics hubs, global branding strategies for Queen Pineapple, promotion of agarwood products, reactivation of Kailashahar Airport, and infrastructure upgrades in border villages and towns. He also outlined the state’s progress and plans aligned with Vision 2047.
Investment Task Force Meeting Held
Later in the day, the second meeting of the high-level Task Force on investment promotion in the northeastern states chaired by CM Saha was held at the Secretariat. The Chief Minister discussed the follow-up actions taken by northeastern states based on the first Task Force meeting. Topics included the formulation of an Investment Promotion Policy for the region, identification of priority sectors, value addition, marketing logistics, and connectivity enhancement.
Minister Scindia praised the initiatives led by CM Saha and underscored the importance of establishing Investment Promotion Agencies across the northeastern states. He also advised uploading land bank details on the investment portal to facilitate potential investors.
The meeting was attended virtually by Nagaland Deputy CM T. R. Zeliang, Sikkim’s Minister of Industry and Commerce T. Bhutia, Meghalaya’s Secretary of Administration B. K. Boxi, and senior officials from Tripura including Kiran Gitte (Secretary, Good Governance Department) and L. T. Darlong (Secretary, Planning Department).
