Agartala, Mar 8: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said that the north-eastern (NE) region was once known as insurgency devastated, infiltration prone, blockade culture, drugs menace and corruption ridden, but Prime Minister Narendra Modi with ambitious development missions has turned the eight states of the region into “Ashtalakshmi”.
Shah said that the Prime Minister with his growth mission for the region has developed infrastructure, connectivity and boosted organic farming besides investing thousands of crores.
Addressing a public meeting in Agartala on the occasion of completion of four years of BJP led government in Tripura, the Home Minister without naming the previous Left Front government said that earlier there was militancy, infiltration, bandh and corruption, but today Modi has taken Tripura in the path of a new development era.
He said, “For 25 years, Tripura had suffered a lot under communist rule. Today under PM Modi and Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb, Tripura is known for peace and progress. Tripura, which was earlier plagued by violence, corruption and illegal drug trade, is today moving towards becoming self-reliant.”
The Home Minister said that the government after several years of uncertainty has been providing settlement to 37,000 Reang tribals from Mizoram in Tripura and after an agreement all the cadres of the National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) militant outfit surrendered and joined the mainstream of life.
“Under the leadership of Chief Minister Deb, enormous drugs menaces were curbed in Tripura and the state would be made a new hub of trade and business making it a drugs free state. The double engine government has increased the per capita income of the people of Tripura to Rs 1.30 lakh in just four years and farmers’ income augmented to Rs 11,000 per month from Rs 6,500,” he said.
Claiming that during the erstwhile Left government over 39 BJP workers and functionaries were killed, Shah said that wherever the Left Front is running the government, violence is prevailing there.
To develop the National Highways, Rs 7,000 crore is being invested in Tripura and six express trains have linked the state with many big states of the country, he added.
Referring to the surgical strike in Pakistan, the Home Minister said that Prime Minister Modi in a befitting retaliation had done this daring action showing the world that India is capable of hitting back at the terrorists.
Mentioning the repeal of the article 370, Shah said that the development is not possible where violence, drugs and other adverse activities are prevailing.
The former BJP national President urged the people to give a chance to the BJP to run the government in Tripura for another five years to make the state a model state in the country.
The elections to the 60-seat Tripura assembly will be held early next year.
Tripura Chief Minister and other leaders also spoke to the programme held at the Vivekananda stadium here.
