Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that Tripura is emerging as an international trade gateway and logistics hub of the northeast due to developments ushered by the double-engine governments of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the centre and in the state.
Speaking about the much-expected new railway line between India and Bangladesh along Tripura which would be operational in June next year, he said, “Scope of trade relations would open with the introduction of the Agartala-Akhaura railway line.”
“In this way, the northeast is developing its connectivity and relations by connecting India, Myanmar and Thailand through roadways,” said Modi while addressing a public meeting at Swami Vivekananda stadium in Agartala.
Both countries signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the railway project in 2013. Akhaura was a railway link for Agartala earlier in the British era.
The Indo-Bangla railway line would link Bangladesh’s Akhaura through an international immigration station at Nischintapur in India.
Tripura has progressed in connectivity with the launch of the Maharaja Bir Bikram international terminal through which the state emerged as the logistic hub of the Northeast, the Prime Minister said in his speech.
Earlier this January, Modi visited Tripura to launch the new terminal building and two other projects.
“Our focus is on all-round development of Tripura. Projects that are launched today will give a fillip to the state’s growth trajectory,” said Modi.
“We have allocated thousands of crores rupees for the development of infrastructures and connectivity. Tripura government under Dr Manik Saha (Tripura chief minister) and his team are working for proper implementation of these projects,” he added.
He said that the northeast used to come into discussion earlier only on the topics of elections and violence. “Time has now changed. Now, Tripura is being discussed for its infrastructural development, allocation of houses to lakhs of people, swacchhata (cleanliness),” said Modi.