TRIPURAHERALD

Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha on Monday laid the foundation stone for slew of projects under AMRUT 2.0 scheme here at Agartala and said that the government has set a target to work on satellite town development for sustainable urban development.

The projects under AMRUT 2.0 include – 47 Deep Tube Wells, 31 Iron Removal Plants, 258 km extension of pipeline for drinking water and drinking water tap connections to 16,224 households

“Government has taken the initiative to start a new scheme called Mukhyamantri Satellite Town Development Scheme and as part of this satellite towns will be built in Agartala, Udaipur and Dharmanagar at the cost of Rs. 500 crore in the next five years,” Dr. Saha said.

Addressing the gathering in the foundation stone laying ceremony, the Chief Minister said, “Rs. 10 crore has been allotted in this year’s budget for primary works of the scheme of Satellite Town Development.”

Underlining the proposals made in the budget Dr. Saha further said that Sewage Treatment Plants are proposed to be set up in Agartala and other parts at the cost of Rs. 50 crores. Plans have been taken up to set up industrial facilities in Kailasahar at the cost of Rs. 10 crore to increase industrial trade as well as to attract tourists. Apart from that, Solar High Mast Lighting Systems will be installed in 19 different cities of the state at the cost of Rs. 8.45 crores, he said.

The Chief Minister said that a new scheme – ‘Mukhyamantri Nagar Unnayan Prakalpa’ has been proposed in this year’s budget with the aim to improve the infrastructure of the municipal organizations of the state. Rs. 1500 crore will be invested through TUEP under this scheme, he added further.

Meanwhile, the Mayor of Agartala Municipal Corporation (AMC) Dipak Majumder said that the AMC has been working diligently starting from beautification of Agartala city to drainage system and delivering clean drinking water in the urban areas of the state T

“With the successful implementation of AMRUT 2.0 scheme, it will be possible to deliver clean drinking water to every household in the AMC area,” he said.

Director of Urban Development department Rajat Pant,  Secretary of Urban Development department Abhishek Singh and Chief Engineer Shyamlal Bhowmik among others were present in the programme.

Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha today inaugurated the first ever Weekend Tourist Hub around Ujjayanta Palace.

Addressing in the inaugural ceremony Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha said that this Weekend Tourist Hub will boost tourism in the state. Not only that this Weekend Tourist Hub will also help establishing Tripura as an excellent centre and priority area of tourism on the tourism map of the country and abroad, he added.

The state government is working on a plan to highlight tourism as an alternative source of economy for the state. The Department of Tourism has undertaken various programs with the aim of presenting Tripura as a world-class tourist destination to the tourists of the country and abroad, the chief minister added.

Tourism minister Sushanta Chowdhury, Mayor of Agartala Municipal Corporation Dipak Majumder  and others were also present in the inaugural ceremony.

In a major operation, Tripura Police arrested two drug peddlers and seized 24 grams of heroin worth Rs 1 lakh near the Bodhjung boys school area on Sunday.

Sadar SDPO Debaprasad Roy stated that they received a crucial tip-off regarding two drug peddlers using government office nameplates in their car for their drug trafficking. On the basis of the tip-off a police team led by Officer in Charge of East Agartala Police Station laid a trap and intercepted vehicle bearing number TR01AL0731 at near the Bodhjung boys school area.

During a meticulous search of the vehicle, police officials found 24 grams of heroin packed in two soap cases. The vehicle driver and his aide both were arrested for possessing the heroin. The two arrested have been identified as Kanu Das and Tapas Karmakar. Police have also seized the vehicle bearing number TR01AL0731.

The two accused were booked under relevant sections of the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic  Substances Act, 1985. They will be produced before the court on July 30, said SDPO Debaprasad Roy.

Some young people are taking their lives to the brink of extinction, like heroin and brown sugar. Being addicted to drugs, they are also involved in various anti-social activities. Unable to raise money for drugs, some are organizing thefts at various homes and shops, which has led to an increase in thefts.

However, Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha has called on Tripura to get rid of drugs. Police are seizing crores worth of heroin, brown sugar, cannabis (ganja) and arresting traffickers, but the real kingpins remain out of reach, which is why the state is not moving towards a drug-free state despite so many anti-drug campaigns.

Meanwhile, in another operation Police Personnel from East Agartala Police Station arrested one bike thief and recovered one stolen bike from Takarjala. The arrested bike thief has been identified as Prajaya Singh. The bike was stolen from Abhoynagar area on July 09. The arrested bike thief will be produced before the court on July 30, said police.

The 133rd death anniversary of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar was celebrated with due dignity. A program was organized in front of Ujjayanta Palace in the capital city under the initiative of the All India Save Education Committee (AISEC) Tripura unit on Saturday.

President of All India Save Education Committee (AISEC) Tripura unit Dr. Alak Satpati in his tribute to the educationist and reformer said, “he played a major role in women’s empowerment. His relentless efforts eradicated many social evils and made Widows’ Remarriage Act possible.”

A social reformer, an educationist, a freedom fighter and the voice against women’s oppression, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar’s death anniversary is being observed today. Popularly referred to as Vidyasagar, he is best known for his ‘Barna Parichay’, which literally means ‘introduction to alphabets’. His contribution towards propagating widow remarriage and spreading awareness against untouchability is immense.

Born as Ishwar Chandra Bandyopadhyay in 1820, he earned the title of ‘Vidyasagar’ or the ‘ocean of learning’ for his vast knowledge in several fields. He is known to have brought the magic of William Shakespeare alive in Bengali literature by translating a number of his plays. Vidyasagar simplified the Bengali typography and interpreted complex notions of Sanskrit grammar in easy Bengali language.

Three persons were injured when a bike bearing number TR 08 E 5188 was dashed by a goods vehicle at Baikhora Bazar area under Shantir Bazar subdivision on Saturday. The injured persons are identified as Nandmani Tripura, Rohit Tripura and Devi Rani Tripura residents of Shivpur area.

It was reported that the bike bearing number TR 08 E 5188 was heading towards Baikhora Bazar area when a goods vehicle coming from opposite direction dashed the bike. As a result all of the three people on the bike got injured. The goods vehicle managed to flee the spot after the accident.

The locals rushed to the spot and took the injured persons to Baikhora Primary Health Centre. The doctor on duty referred Nandmani Tripura seeing her condition critical to  Shantir Bazar District Hospital. The doctor on duty said that the remaining two were discharged after first aid.

According to the eyewitnesses the accident occurred due to the reckless driving of the goods vehicle driver.

A huge rally was organized by the Muslim community people of the state to celebrate Muharram, on Saturday.

During the rally Muslims beat drums and thumped their chests to mourn the martyrdom of Prophet Mohammed’s grandson Imam Hussain at Iraq’s Karbala in 680 AD on the 10th day of the Islamic month of Muharram.

On Muharram, considered a day of bereavement, Muslims observe voluntary fasts, give to charity and pray in remembrance of Hussain.

Muharram commemorates the death of Prophet Muhammed’s grandson, Hussain Ibn Ali, who was brutally martyred during the Battle of Karbala on the tenth day of Muharram, known as the Day of Ashura. The first month of the Muslim calendar is marked by the festival of Muharram, which is also the start of the new Islamic year.

Fire engulfed a parked four-wheeler vehicle at Nehalchandra nagar area of Bishalgarh under Bishalgarh Police Station on Saturday morning, a Fire Brigade official said.

Timely arrival of Fire tenders and untiring efforts of local people doused the fire from taking a bigger form. Hearing the incident, police personnel from Bishalgarh police station arrived at the spot and started an investigation.

However, the Fire Brigade official said that the amount of damage would be around Rs 8 lakh. He also said that the vehicle was fully damaged due to the fire.

On the other hand, locals alleged that some has intentionally set fire to the parked four-wheeler kept at Pranesh Majhi’s house in Nehalchandra nagar area of Bishalgarh.

The owner of the vehicle Pranesh Majhi said that his vehicle is fully damaged due to the fire and the amount of damage would be around Rs 8 lakh.

Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha on Saturday expressed his concern over the rising drug trafficking and drug abuse and said that government is working on a priority basis to end the drug menace in the state.

Dr. Saha on Saturday inaugurated a daylong seminar on “Cross Border Organized Crimes (NDPS Human Trafficking & Terror Funding etc.)- Impact Assessment & Legal Solutions” here at Agartala Tripura Judicial Academy auditorium.

He said, “Our government is taking various steps to end this menace. There is a need to fight against drugs in a collective manner & the judiciary also has a major role to play towards building Neshamukt Tripura.”

He urged the Judiciary to adopt a holistic approach and take a strict stand in bail matters, considering the stringent provisions of the NDPS (Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances) Act.

“The state government have declares Zero Tolerance to Drugs trafficking to make the state drug-free,” he said, adding that there is a need to increase the conviction rate linked to the cases under NDPS Act.

On a different note of human trafficking, Dr. Saha said, “Tripura is being sued as a corridor by the human trafficking chain. In this case the police along with the BSF, and GRP to nab the illegal Bangladesh nationals and Rohingya.” “A Special investigation team has been formed to find links to human trafficking as illegal Bangladesh nationals and Rohingya travel to other states through Tripura. However the problem of human trafficking is not alarming in our state”, he said,” he said.

The Weekend Tourist Hub around Ujjayanta Palace will be inaugurated on July 30 and Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha is scheduled to inaugurate the Weekend Tourist hub at a mega event on Sunday (July 30).

Addressing a press conference at the secretariat’s press conference hall today Tourism Minister Sushanta Chowdhury said that it has been decided to launch the ‘Weekend Tourist Hub’ with the aim of establishing Tripura as an excellent centre and priority area of tourism on the tourism map of the country and abroad.

Tourism Minister said, ‘Weekend Tourist Hub’ will be open every Saturday and Sunday from 4 pm to 9 pm in summer and from 3 pm to 8 pm in winter. During the ‘Weekend Tourist Hub’, all roads in front of Ujjayanta Palace will be no-entry zone. No vehicles will be allowed to ply on the road from in front of Rabindra Satabarshiki Bhavan to Town Hall’s entry road and Jackson Gate. District Magistrate of West Tripura district has already issued a notification in this regard, he added.

The people of Agartala city will get a new destination for fun and entertainment based on the Weekend Tourist Hub. The ‘Weekend Tourist Hub’ will also house several amenities to attract visitors. Fully equipped mobile food stalls, paddle boating in Ujjayant Palace’s Radha Sagar for the entertainment of tourists, photo counters in the garden area of the State Museum for taking pictures in traditional costumes and ornaments, light and sound in the evening. Show Exhibition etc. Interesting cultural programs will also be organized for the entertainment of the visitors, the minister said.

Also, for the safety of tourists, there will be sufficient number of women and men police, monitoring from watch towers and CCTV and police patrolling in plain clothes etc. “The tourism hub will create income opportunities among the unemployed. There will also be a variety of food stalls. There will be arrangements for cultural and entertainment shows,” Chowdhury said.

The tourism minister said that the state government is working on a plan to highlight tourism as an alternative source of economy for the state. The Department of Tourism has undertaken various programs with the aim of presenting Tripura as a world-class tourist destination to the tourists of the country and abroad. The state government has appointed former cricket captain Sourav Ganguly as the brand ambassador of state tourism to promote the state’s tourism to the world.

Mayor of Agartala Municipal Corporation Dipak Majumder and Director of Tourism Department Tapan Kumar Das were also present.