In a major step towards skill development and employability, the state cabinet  has approved a proposal to upgrade 19 Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) in collaboration with Tata Technologies.

Addressing a press conference at Civil Secretariat in Agartala on Saturday afternoon, Transport and Tourism Minister and Cabinet spokesperson Sushanta Chowdhury said this decision was taken during a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha.

 This initiatives with an aims to bring transformative changes to  ITIs over the next five years with focus  to equip the youth of Tripura with industry-relevant skills so they can actively participate in the Startup India, Standup India, and Make in India missions , said Chowdhury and added that  at present , many of young people are neither able to launch their own ventures nor secure jobs in companies outside state and proposed upgradation project will change their job opportunities and skill.

As part of the agreement, 11 new trades will be introduced in the ITIs. The total investment for the project is estimated at Rs 683.27 crore, with Tata Technologies contributing 86% of the funding, while the state government will cover the remaining 14%. Additionally, the state government plans to invest Rs 107.06 crore for further infrastructure development, covering a total area of 13,000 square feet across the 19 ITIs. The formal agreement with Tata Technologies Limited is expected to be signed shortly.

Minister Chowdhury also addressed recent media reports regarding high airfares on the Agartala-Kolkata route, describing these reports as misleading. He clarified that airfares are determined by airlines, and the Tariff Monitoring Unit under the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) regularly monitors these rates.

 “About 60% of the seats on each flight are offered at basic rates, which are below Rs 4,000. Higher fares are generally applicable to the remaining seats, especially those booked at the last minute or for urgent travel,” he explained. These higher fares are typically applicable to around 8-10 seats per flight. In contrast, passengers who book their tickets well in advance can avail themselves of fares ranging between Rs 4,000 to Rs 6,000.

Meanwhile, Minister Chowdhury further explained that Agartala and Kolkata airports do not fall under the underserved or unserved categories as defined by the UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik) scheme. According to the scheme's guidelines, underserved airports have only one flight per day, while unserved airports have none. Thus, the Agartala-Kolkata route does not qualify for subsidized fares under the UDAN scheme.

The UDAN scheme that was launched in 2016 primarily aims to improve air connectivity for economically weaker sections by providing affordable airfares to underserved and unserved airports. Chowdhury assured that the state is continuously working to enhance air connectivity. Currently, Agartala's Maharaja Bir Bikram (MBB) Airport sees an average of 16 flights per day, with plans to introduce a new Indigo-Airbus service soon.

During the press conference along with the Minister, the Director of Industries and Commerce Vishwasree B, Additional Secretary of the Transport Department Subrata Chowdhury and other officials were also present.