TRIPURAHERALD

Continuing the festive season, Kojagari Lakshmi Puja the Goddess of wealth is worshipped in house to house on Wednesday & Thursday (16th and 17th October, 2024) in Tripura. Kojagari Lakshmi Puja follows on from the celebrations of Vijayadashami and the immersion of the ten-armed Goddess Durga Lakshmi is said to be the daughter of the mother Goddess Durga and the wife of Vishnu. Kojagari Lakshmi Puja is celebrated in honour of Maa MahaLakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity. Laxmi Puja is one of the most important features of Diwali celebrations. Laxmi, who is considered the goddess of light, beauty, good fortune and wealth, She is also worshiped to achieve success and fortune. It is however said that she does not reside long with anyone who is lazy and untidy or desire her only as wealth.

In a significant development to the state forest infrastructure, the forest minister Animesh Debbarma on Tuesday inaugurated at least 20 newly constructed Beat Office Buildings under the Tripura JICA Project (SCATFORM) here at the Project Management Unit in Gandhigram.Inaugurating the beat offices, the forest minister emphasized on the government’s commitment in making Tripura a greener and pollution-free state. He expressed confidence that the newly inaugurated Beat Offices will enhance the capacity of the forest staff, allowing them to engage with local communities, raise awareness, undertake afforestation activities, and promote sustainable development opportunities.Highlighting the growing threat of pollution, the Minister called upon citizens to act responsibly and take steps to protect the environment. He also acknowledged the successful efforts of the Forest Department in curbing illegal activities through strict enforcement measures.The Minister further announced future plans for the development of additional permanent structures for the Forest Department, as well as staff quarters to provide better housing facilities for the families of forest officers.The newly constructed beat offices buildings, constructed at a project cost of Rs. 12.20 Crores on a 50-50 cost-sharing basis between the State Government and the SCATFORM Project, are fully equipped to facilitate fieldwork for Beat Officers of the Tripura Forest Department. Each building features an office space with a hall, designed to support efficient management and coordination at the grassroots level.Principal Chief Conservator of Forests & Head of Forest Force – R K Samal, IFS, Chief Executive Officer & Project Director of Tripura SCATFORM Project Pravin Agrawal, Managing Director of the Tripura Forest Development and Plantation Corporation (TFDPC) Dr Avinash M. Kanfade, and Dr Y L Singh, Group General Manager, NPCC Ltd. Among others were present in the programme.

Hours after the opposition Congress MLA Sudip Roy Barman on Sunday has hit out at the Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha and accused him of allotting land to a private firm to run a super specialty hospital here in Tripura without floating any tender, the cabinet minister Sushanta Chowdhury has denied the allegation and clarified that the land allotment approval is still pending with the state cabinet and allotment is not yet granted.Addressing a press conference on Sunday, Congress MLA Sudip Roy Barman alleged, “The chief minister, without the consent of the cabinet, is all set to hand over 28 acres of land to an Imphal-based private run Shija Hospitals and Research Institute (SHRI) in West Tripura’s Bodhjungnagar area.”“The Chief Minister has bypassed the council of ministers while allotting land to his handpicked private partner,” he said and demanded clarification from the Chief Minister and his government if any tender was floated in this regard.“This is glaring irregularity and cannot be tolerated. If situation arises, I will file public interest litigation against the move,” he said.Reacting sharply to the allegation of Sudip Roy Barman, the cabinet minister Sushanta Chowdhury on Sunday said that the Congress MLA has been trying to tarnish the image of the chief minister by levelling baseless allegations.Chowdhury dismissed the charge levelled against the chief minister and said, “The ARD Department, which owns the land as was identified for establishing the hospital, has issued an NOC and referred the matter to the district magistrate, who will send the matter to the Revenue Department. The land allotment is yet to get nod from the state cabinet and it is under process.”Chowdhury said that the Shija Hospitals and Research Institute (SHRI) has already promised to invest Rs 9,000 crore by setting up a multi-specialty hospital in the state.”Tripura needs investment from outside the state for growth. The government is ready to provide land to any party if they want to invest in the northeastern state, be it in healthcare or education. The process will be done as per the government guidelines,” he said.

Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha on Saturday attended the virtual programme of Prime Minister Narendra Modi releasing the 18th instalment to farmers under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sanman Nidhi Yojana and said that for overall progress of the country, there is a need to develop the agriculture sector and enhance the livelihood of the farmers.Over Rs 20000 crore have been disbursed directly into the bank accounts of more than 9.4 crore beneficiary farmers through digital mode under the PM-Kisan Sanman Nidhi Yojana.Attending the virtual programme at the State Agricultural Research Center at Arundhutinagar, Agartala on Saturday, the Chief Minister Dr Saha said that after taking charge as Prime Minister in 2014, Narendra Modi has been working on various schemes for the welfare of farmers. The government is determined to improve the socio-economic conditions of farmers, he added.The Chief Minister also opined that the scheme would also help farmers in purchasing agricultural inputs. He said that the government is continuously working for the development of agriculture and farmers in the state. About 13 lakh 89 thousand farmers of the state are covered under Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, he said.

The sate tourism minister Sushanta Chowdhury on Saturday inaugurated the tourist facilitation centre and tourism infrastructure at the Rajghat of Neermahal in Melagarh and said that tourism industry will play a key role in enhancing the economy of the state.He said that both the Centre and State government is contemplating to boost the tourism industry in the state of Tripura. A proposed project of Rs 75 crore to build state-of-the-art infrastructure around Neermahal is awaiting approval from the central government, he said.He said that under the Swadesh Darshan scheme of Government of India under the supervision of Department of Tourism, Government of Tripura various infrastructures have been put in place to provide better services at Neermahal Tourist Centre.Under the Swadesh Darshan Project, tourist facilitation center, souvenir shop, welcome gate, watch tower, ticket counter, special seating area for tourists, parking space have been constructed at Rajghat of Neermahal at a cost of Rs. 4.2 crore.On the occasion, MLA Kishore Barman thanked the Tripura government for taking the initiative of revamping the beauty of Neermahal, which eyes to attract more tourists from the state and abroad. He said that due to the positive role of both the Central and the state government, the tourism industry in addition to the other sectors are being developed.

Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha on Friday walked on a protest rally here at Agartala, organised by the ruling BJP and accused both the opposition CPI(M) and the Congress party of hatching conspiracy and destabilizing the BJP led coalition government in Tripura.The ruling BJP also took out a rally on Friday to counter the protests of the opposition parties and thousands of BJP supporters took to the streets in the capital town. Both the opposition CPI(M) and the Congress party took out a protest march against the government demanding adequate assistance to the flood-hit victims and worsening law and order.Dr Saha, who joined the BJP’s protest rally, alleged that the opposition parties are hatching a conspiracy against the government by misleading the people.Labelling the oppositions’ protest as baseless and a malign campaign, Dr Saha on Friday said that despite repeated electoral defeats, these parties cannot accept that their ideologies, policies, and programmes have been rejected by the people. He said that the rally of the BJP is to voice against the false propaganda being hatched by the oppositions.“I want to warn the opposition and ask them to refrain from making baseless allegations against the BJP-led government because it functions transparently,” he said.Meanwhile, the BJP Rajya Sabha MP Rajib Bhattacharjee defended the government’s response to recent floods, highlighting the relief and rescue efforts as well as the decision to provide free rations in fair-price shops during the festive season. He accused the opposition of deliberately ignoring the government’s actions to support the people.

India’s largest hospitality company has unveiled the renovated and re-imagined Ginger Agartala in Tripura. The hotel was inaugurated by Minister of Tourism Sushanta Chowdhury alongside other dignitaries. With the introduction of the all-day-dinner, Qmin, renovated rooms, facade and lobby, the hotel embodies the brand’s signature lean luxe philosophy, providing guests with a contemporary and comfortable stay..Speaking on the occasion, Ms. Deepika Rao, Executive Vice President – Hotel Openings & New Businesses, IHCL, remarked, “We are excited to unveil the re-imagined Ginger Agartala with its renovated offerings, transforming the hotel in to a stylish destination for the city with its fusion of global and local experiences.”She added, “Ginger, a pioneer in the lean luxe segment in India, has redefined the hospitality landscape with a fresh approach that caters to the dynamic lifestyle of new-age consumers.”Agartala with its significant infrastructure developments, is an emerging commercial and industrial hub. As a cultural gem in Tripura, the state capital is home to numerous temples and historical sites.

The Bhavan’s Tripura Vidya Mandir (BTVM) on Wednesday celebrated its 28 glorious years in the state of Tripura and also observed Gandhi Jayanti in the school premise.To mark the day a cultural program was organised, while Kulapati K.M Munshi and Founder Director K V Gopalkrishnan had inaugurated the programme in presence of Principal Swapna Shome, headmistress Pompi Majumder and others.During her speech, the Principal Swapna Shome wished everyone for successful completion of 28 years and spoke of taking the name and fame of the institute to greater heights.On the other hand, the Headmistress Pompi Majumder in her speech spoke of the ideologies of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, and also said that Bhavan’s believe in revitalizing ancient values and reintegrates them in modern time. Floral tribute was also paid to the portrait of the father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti.Chairman of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Agartala Debashish Chakraborty also remained present in the programme.