Agartala, July 18: Infrastructure is essential for the economic and overall progress of any state, said Tripura Chief Minister Prof. (Dr.) Manik Saha while addressing a symposium titled “Infrastructure Development in Northeast India” organized by the Indian Building Congress at Pragya Bhavan today.
Highlighting the government’s commitment to building modern and robust infrastructure, the Chief Minister stated that improved infrastructure accelerates trade, productivity, construction, healthcare, and the overall quality of life. He emphasized the vital role of engineers in infrastructure development, stating that their innovative thinking is crucial in realizing modern infrastructure. Such discussions and forums significantly enrich the knowledge and expertise of engineers.
Dr. Saha noted that symposiums like this will greatly benefit infrastructure development across Tripura and other northeastern states. He reiterated Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of referring to the northeastern states as the “Ashta Lakshmi” (eight forms of wealth) and said the Act East Policy has further accelerated the region’s development. Under the guidance of the Prime Minister, the state government is tirelessly working towards holistic development.
In this year’s state budget, over ₹7,000 crore has been allocated specifically for infrastructure development. Detailing ongoing progress, the Chief Minister informed that under the PWD (Roads & Bridges) department, Tripura has a total road network of approximately 10,818.423 km, including main roads, rural roads, and district roads. Additionally, the state has 923 km of national highways, out of which 509 km have already been upgraded to double-lane roads. Tripura also has 3,939 bridges and culverts.
He announced that under the Bharatmala Project, a 49 km ring road will be developed around Agartala city to ease traffic congestion. The government is also planning to construct more flyovers and aims to connect all railway stations in the state with the national highways. As the region lies in a high seismic zone, modern technology is being used in all construction activities, including the high-rise office building under construction at Gurkhabasti.
The Chief Minister also highlighted the potential of the region in terms of rail and road connectivity and hydropower.
The event was also addressed by Architect Shyamalal Bhaumik, Chairman of the Indian Building Congress; Chinmoy Debnath, President of the Tripura State Chapter; Architect Raj Chakraborty; and Architect O.P. Goel. Also present were Rajib Debbarma, Chief Architect of the PWD, Tripura, and Architect V.R. Bansal, Secretary of the Indian Building Congress.
During the event, the Chief Minister unveiled a souvenir and the cover of the official technical journal.
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