PM Modi inaugurates 'Maitri Setu' between India and Bangladesh

The 1.9-km-long bridge joins Sabroom in India with Ramgarh in Bangladesh

Underlining the achievements of the Biplab Deb dispensation in Tripura with support from the Centre, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in an apparent reference to West Bengal on Tuesday said wherever a "double-engine" government was not there, policies empowering the poor were either not implemented or were moving forward at a very slow pace.

In his remarks inaugurating the "Maitri Setu" between India and Bangladesh, Modi said about three years ago the people of Tripura had created history and gave a strong message to the whole country as they made a new beginning by dislodging the negative forces that stalled the development of the state.

"The potential of Tripura had been enchained, but you broke those chains," he said.

Tripura is experiencing the clear difference between the 30 years of the earlier government and the "double engine" government of the last three years, he asserted.

The BJP under Biplab Deb emerged victorious in the 2018 Assembly Election, putting an end to the over 25-year rule of the Left Front in the state.

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Referring to the mandate of the assembly elections, Modi said, "You decided to put a double engine of development -- one in Tripura and the second in Delhi. Because of this decision of putting a double engine, the results and the path of progress that emerged is before you."

In place of corruption and commission culture of the earlier years, benefits are reaching directly in the accounts of the beneficiaries, Modi said.

He also pointed out that employees who were hassled over salary being credited on time are getting salary as per the 7th pay commission.

For the first time, Minimum Support Price (MSP) for crops has been decided in Tripura where farmers used to face many problems for selling their produce, he said.

Tripura which was pushed back by strike culture for many years is now working for ease of doing business, Modi said.

At the online event, Modi also inaugurated and laid the foundation stones of multiple infrastructure projects in Tripura.

Noting that new investments are changing the earlier scenario of closures of industry, he said exports from Tripura in terms of volume have increased five times.

Tripura is also becoming an example for those big states where a "double engine" government is not there.

"Those governments that waste time in fighting Delhi, they are also getting to know that Tripura has transformed from a power deficit state to a power surplus one due to a double engine government," he said, in an apparent swipe at the Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government which has been at loggerheads with the Centre on several issues.

"The country is also seeing that wherever a double-engine government is not there, you can look at your neighbourhood, policies empowering the poor, farmers and daughters were either not implemented or were moving forward at a very slow pace," the prime minister said, in another apparent reference to West Bengal.

The prime minister often uses the term "double engine" to describe the scenario of BJP governments both at the Centre and in the state.

Modi said that in the past six years, the central government has taken care of every requirement for the development of Tripura and underlined that there has been a significant hike in the central allocation for the state.

Tripura had received Rs 3,500 crore for central development schemes between 2009 and 2014, while more than Rs 12,000 crore has been provided between 2014 and 2019, he said.

Modi asserted that the "double engine" government is working to strengthen Tripura and has transformed the state from a power deficit state to a power surplus one.

The prime minister also listed other achievements of the "double engine" government in the state like connecting two lakh rural households with piped drinking water, providing 2.5 lakh free gas connections, making almost every village in Tripura open defecation free, 50,000 pregnant women receiving the benefit of Matru Vandana Yojana, 40,000 poor families getting their new homes, etc.

Farmers and poor families in Tripura are getting the benefit of PM Kisan Samman Nidhi and Ayushman Bharat, he said.

In a video message at the event, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said political boundaries in the region should not become physical barriers for trade.

Prime Minister Modi said that connectivity related infrastructure has seen tremendous improvement in the last three years and cited the rapid work for the airport, sea-link for internet in Tripura, rail link and waterways in this regard.

Modi said the "Maitri Setu" will give an impetus to the economic opportunity in Bangladesh, noting that he had laid the foundation stone of the bridge during his visit to Bangladesh.

The prime minister said now people will not have to depend only on road network for any kind of supply to the Northeast.

He also said efforts are underway to connect Chittagong port of Bangladesh with the Northeast through an alternative route via the river.

Due to this bridge over the Feni river, Agartala will become the nearest city to an international sea port in India, Modi said.

Modi said the inauguration of several projects are efforts to make Agartala a better city.

The prime minister said that the decades-old Bru refugee problem found a solution due to the efforts of the government. He expressed hope that a Rs 600-crore package will bring positive change in the lives of Bru people.