Tripura Chief Minister Prof. Dr Manik Saha on Friday informed that he has requested the Central Government to increase the funding cap for externally aided projects so that development work is not halted.

He also criticized the previous government for destroying the cultural and religious tourism monuments of the royal families and said that the BJP-led government is now restoring and developing them in a new way.

 “At present, we are allowed to receive up to Rs 4,000 crore under externally aided projects, which is not sufficient for the state. I have written letters and spoken to the Central Government, requesting an increase in this cap so that development work is not halted. We have been consistently working towards the state’s development and therefore need the upper limit to be raised”, said Dr Saha.

He said, “There is a lot of potential in the field of tourism in the state of Tripura. The state government is working with special priority on the development of the tourism industry. The state's tourism industry needs to be further promoted and expanded. The previous government had destroyed the cultural and religious tourism monuments of the Maharajas. Now the BJP-led government is restoring them and developing them in a new way.

Today, Dr Saha laid the foundation stone for the development of tourism infrastructure at Kamalasagar and Chaturdash Devta Temple at the Kasba Kalibari Complex, under Sepahijala District.

At the event, the Chief Minister said that earlier it was difficult to reach the Kasbeshwari Temple from the national highway due to poor road conditions. Therefore, he spoke to the secretaries and engineers of the Public Works Department for the development of this road.

 “Accordingly, this 13-kilometer-long road was developed at a cost of about Rs 34 crore. And now, in a very short time, one can visit the temple. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has repeatedly emphasized the importance of infrastructure development. In line with his direction, we are also working with special emphasis on infrastructure development. In this year's budget, about Rs 7,000 crore has been allocated for infrastructure development,” said Dr Saha.

Speaking at the event, Dr Saha said that in addition to ADB, important projects are being implemented with the financial assistance of the World Bank.

 “Because if you spend money, money will come. Along with the beautification of the tourism sector, people will also come here from outside. This will improve the quality of life and livelihood. Attention will be paid to ensuring that the infrastructure development of the two religious tourist centers, the foundation stone of which was laid today, is of high quality. A large number of people gather at the Bhadra Mela organized at the Kasbeshwari Temple. Similarly, the traditional 7-day Kharchi Fair and Festival organized at the Fourteen Deities Temple also attracts lakhs of people,” he said.

Dr Saha also said that this government has given special emphasis to infrastructure development.

 “Earlier, tourism was declared an industry, but it was not worked on in that way. But the current government has given importance to improving the quality of life and increasing employment through the development of the tourism industry. Tripura will move further in this regard in the future through the development of the tourism industry. A few days ago, the foundation stone of the 51 Shakti Peeth Park was laid in Banduar, Udaipur. Once it is developed, the tourism industry of the state will expand further,” said Dr Saha.

Tourism Minister Sushanta Chowdhury, Sepahijala Zila Sabhadhipati Supriya Das Dutta, MLA Antara Sarkar Deb, MLA Ratan Chakraborty, Secretary of the Tourism Department Uttam Kumar Chakma, District Magistrate Dr. Siddharth Shiv Jaiswal, Superintendent of Police Bijay Debbarma, Managing Director of Tourism Development Corporation Prashant Badal Negi, and other dignitaries were present.