Per capita income in BJP-ruled Tripura Rs 1.77 lakh higher than Bengal: HM Shah

Agartala, Dec 22 (IANS) Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said that the per capita income in the BJP-ruled Tripura is now Rs 1.77 lakh higher than the neighbouring state of West Bengal (where the Trinamool Congress led by Mamata Banerjee is in power). 

Addressing the National Cooperative Conference in Agartala, the Home Minister said that before the BJP came to power in Tripura in 2018, the per capita income in the state was Rs 98,000, and it has now increased to Rs 1.77 lakh.

"Due to the good governance of the BJP, the per capita income in Tripura exceeded West Bengal. A new era of development started after the BJP came to power in Tripura in 2018.

"Piped water supply increased from less than three per cent to 87 per cent households. Over 80 per cent people are getting 5 kg rice free of cost and 80 per cent people have been covered under the Rs 5 lakh free health scheme,” he said.

Saying that India has advanced to fifth position in the global economy from the earlier 11th place, HM Shah said that the country is all set to become the third-largest global economy by 2027.

He said that not only the country, the prosperity of each Indian family is the ultimate target of Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government, and added that 70 per cent farmers of Tripura are able to produce organic products while the government is trying to increase the income of the farmers.

HM Shah, who also holds the Ministry of Cooperation portfolio, said that over 3,138 cooperatives are functioning in Tripura in various sectors including dairy and animal husbandry.

He said that organic farming naturally takes place throughout the Northeast.

The Home Minister urged all the state governments to join the National Cooperative Organics Limited (NCOL) established by the Central government.

The objective of NCOL is to connect all farmers engaged in cooperative organic farming and build infrastructure for packaging, marketing, and export.

He emphasised that all states should enter agreements with NCOL and link their farmers to it, so that their organic products can reach the global market.

HM Shah announced that PM Modi-led government has decided to establish an organic certification lab in every state of the Northeast, and in larger states like Assam, one in each district. This will ensure reliable organic certification for both soil and agricultural products.

He added that through brands like Amul and Bharat, "our products will be able to reach global markets".

The Home Minister earlier on Sunday visited the Reang tribal settlement camp at Haduklaupara village in Dhalai district.

"The Reang tribals earlier lived like animals. The previous Left Front government did nothing to remove the miseries of the Reang tribals. After the BJP government came to power in Tripura in 2018, all efforts undertaken to resolve the problems of the Reang tribals,” he said.

HM Shah also said that for the settlement of around 38,000 Reang tribals in 12 locations in Tripura, around Rs 900 crore is being spent.

The displaced Reang tribals in different phases migrated from Mizoram in 1997 after ethnic troubles there and following an agreement settled in 12 locations in four districts of Tripura -- North Tripura, Dhalai, Gomati, and South Tripura.

After several years of tussles and agitations, a quadripartite agreement was signed in January 2020 between the Centre, Tripura, and Mizoram governments and the Reang tribal leaders to resettle the tribal immigrants comprising 6,302 families in 12 locations in four of Tripura's eight districts.