PM’s speech at the inauguration of Maharaja Bir Bikram Airport and other projects in Tripura
Speaker: Narendra Modi
Date: 04 Jan, 2022

Bharat Mata Ki Jai! Bharat Mata Ki Jai! The Governor of Tripura Shri Satyadev Arya ji, Tripura’s young and energetic Chief Minister Shri Biplab Deb ji, Tripura’s Deputy Chief Minister Shri Jishnu Dev Varma ji, my Cabinet colleagues Sister Pratima Bhoumik ji and Shri Jyotiraditya Scindia ji, Ministers in the State Government Shri NC Debbarma ji, Shri Ratanlal Nath ji, Shri Pranjit Singha Roy ji and Shri Manoj Kanti Deb ji, other public representatives and my dear brothers and sisters who have come in large numbers! Greetings to you all. My best wishes to you all on the new year 2022! In the beginning of the year itself, Tripura is receiving three gifts today with the blessings of Maa Tripura Sundari. The first gift is connectivity, the second gift is ‘Mission 100 Vidyajyoti Schools’ and the third gift is ‘Tripura Gram Samridhi Yojana’. Today, projects worth hundreds of crores of Rupees have been inaugurated and foundation stones have been laid here. Heartiest congratulations to all of you for these three gifts! Friends, The India of the 21st century will move forward by taking everyone along, with everyone’s development and everyone’s efforts. If some states lag behind; if the people of some states yearn for basic facilities; then this inequitable development is not good for the development of the nation; it is not right. This is what the people of Tripura have seen and experienced here for decades. Earlier, the wheel of corruption did not stop moving here while the brakes were put on the vehicle of development. The government which was here earlier had neither the vision nor the intention of developing Tripura. Tripura was made to live in poverty and backwardness. To change this situation, I had assured HIRA to the people of Tripura. H for highway, I for Internet way, R for railways and A for Airways. Today, based on the HIRA Model, Tripura is improving and expanding its connectivity. Before coming here, I went to see the newly constructed terminal building and other facilities of Maharaja Bir Bikram Airport. The culture of Tripura, its heritage, its architecture, will be the first thing that every traveller will see at the airport. Be it the natural beauty of Tripura, the tribal art of the Unakoti Hills or the stone sculptures, the airport holds the essence of the entire Tripura. With the new facilities, the capacity of Maharaja Bir-Bikram Airport has increased three-fold. Now about a dozen aircraft can be parked here. This will go a long way in increasing the air connectivity of not only Tripura but also the entire North East. When the work for the domestic cargo terminal and the cold storage gets completed here, then the business and growth of the entire North East will get a fresh boost. Our Maharaja Bir-Bikram ji had given new heights to Tripura in the field of education and architecture. Today he would have been extremely delighted to see the development of Tripura as well as the efforts of the people here. Friends, Today, besides expanding the connectivity of Tripura, work for developing it as a gateway to the North East is also going on at a rapid pace. Be it road, rail, air or waterway connectivity, the massive investment that our government is making on modern infrastructure has never been made before. Now Tripura is becoming a new hub of trade and business in this region; a trade corridor is being developed. Dozens of road and railway projects and international waterway connectivity with Bangladesh have begun to reform this place. Our government is also trying to complete the Agartala-Akhaura rail link expeditiously. Brothers and sisters, When both the central and the State governments keep development as paramount, then the work progresses at double the speed. So the government of double engine has no match. Double engine government means proper use of resources, double engine government means full sensitivity, double engine government means developing people’s skills, double engine government means service and dedication. Government of double engine means accomplishment of resolutions. And, a double engine government means a concerted effort towards prosperity. The Mukhya Mantri Tripura Gram Samridhi Yojana, which is being launched here today, is an example of the same. Under this scheme, every house will have piped water connection; every poor person will have a pucca roof. A short while ago, I met some of the beneficiaries. I was trying to understand their personal experiences of the schemes. I met a daughter who has been allotted a house. But so far only the floor work has been done, the walls are still to be constructed. Yet she was so happy that tears would not stop rolling down from her eyes. This government is dedicated towards the happiness of the common man. And, every eligible family should have an Ayushman Yojana card. I found a family where both the mother and her young son were diagnosed with cancer. Due to the Ayushman Bharat scheme, the life of the mother and the son could be saved by the support of suitable funds. When every poor has an insurance cover, when every child has an opportunity to study, every farmer has a KCC card, every village has good roads, the confidence of the poor will increase, the life of the poor will become easier, every citizen of my country will be empowered, my poor citizens will be empowered. This confidence is the basis for prosperity. That is why I had said from the ramparts of Red Fort that now we have to reach every beneficiary of the schemes ourselves, we have to move towards the saturation of the schemes. I am glad that today Tripura has taken a major step in this direction. This year, when Tripura is completing 50 years of attaining statehood, this resolution is a great achievement in itself. Tripura is already one of the leading states of the country in taking the ongoing schemes for the welfare of the village and the poor to the people. Gram Samridhi Yojana will further improve this record of Tripura. It will also be ensured that every village and every poor family gets more than 20 basic facilities. I also liked the idea that the villages that achieve 100% targets before the scheduled time, will also be given an incentive amount of lakhs of rupees. This will also develop a healthy competition for development. Friends, The government of Tripura today understands the plight of the poor and is sensitive towards the poor. Our media friends don’t talk about this enough, so I want to share an example today. When the work for PM Awas Yojana (Rural) started in Tripura, a problem regarding the official definition of a kutcha house had cropped up. The previous government had made a system under which the houses with roofs made of iron sheet, will not be considered as a kutcha house. That is, even if the facilities inside the house were dilapidated, or the walls were of mud, the house was not considered as a kutcha house because of the iron sheet on the roof. Because of this, thousands of rural families of Tripura were deprived of the benefits of PM Awas Yojana. I would appreciate my colleague Biplab Deb ji because he came to me with this issue. He placed everything before the central government with evidence. After this, the Government of India also changed its rules, changed the definition. And due to this, more than 1 lakh 80 thousand poor families of Tripura became entitled to pucca houses. So far, more than 50 thousand friends of Tripura have received pucca houses. Recently, the first instalment has also been released to more than one and a half lakh families to build their homes. You can guess how the earlier government used to work and how our double engine government is working. Brothers and sisters, For the development of any region, along with the resources, the skills & ability of the citizens are equally important. The need of the hour is to ensure that our present and future generations should become more capable than us. It is imperative. New National Education Policy is being implemented in the country so that visionary youngsters are produced who can build a modern India of the 21st century. There is an equal emphasis on learning in the local language. Now the students of Tripura will also get help from the ‘Mission-100, Vidya Jyoti’ campaign. Modern facilities in schools to be built with hundreds of crores of rupees will make education more easy and accessible. Particularly, the way schools are being equipped with Atal Tinkering Labs, ICT labs and Vocational Labs, it will prepare the youth of Tripura for a self-reliant India with innovations, start ups, and unicorns. Friends, Even in this difficult period of Corona, many efforts have been made to ensure that our youth do not suffer in terms of education. From tomorrow, a campaign for free immunisation of adolescents in the age group of 15 years to 18 years has also been started across the country. It is very important for students to be able to pursue their studies with ease, to be able to sit for their exams without any worries. Vaccination campaign is going on in Tripura at a rapid pace. More than 80 per cent of people have got the first dose and more than 65 percent have got the second dose. I am sure that Tripura will achieve the target of completing immunization of youth between 15 and 18 years of age. Friends, Today the government of double engine is making efforts for complete and sustainable development both in villages and cities. The work being done in all areas from agriculture to forest produce and self-help groups is also a testament to our commitment. Be it small farmers, women or our tribal companions dependent on forest produce, today they are being organized and turned into a huge force. Tripura has launched a packaged product called ‘Muli Bamboo Cookies’ for the first time and the credit goes to our mothers and sisters of Tripura who have played a major role in it. Tripura can also play an important role in giving the country an alternative to single-use plastic. A huge market is being created in the country for bamboo brooms, bamboo bottles that are made here. Due to this, thousands are getting employment, self-employment in the manufacturing sector of bamboo products. Tripura has got a lot of benefit from the reforms in the laws related to bamboo. Friends, A commendable work is also being carried out here in Tripura regarding organic farming. Be it pineapple, fragrant rice, ginger, turmeric, chilli, it has become a huge market for the farmers in the country and the world today. Today, the small farmers of Tripura are transporting this produce by Kisan rail from Agartala to various cities of the country including Delhi at a low transport cost in lesser time. The big cargo centre being built at Maharaja Bir Bikram Airport will make it easier for organic agricultural products to reach foreign markets as well. Friends, We have to maintain the habit of Tripura being a leader in every field of development. We are committed to our resolve that the common man of the country, the person living in the remotest corner of the country, should become a partner in the economic development of the country and become empowered and self reliant. Seeking inspiration from these resolutions, we will engage in work with double confidence. Your love, your affection and your trust is our greatest asset. And today I could see everyone on the way and hear their enthusiastic voices while coming from the airport. I will return this love of yours by doubling the development with the power of the double engine and I am sure, the love and affection that the people of Tripura have showered on us will continue to be received in the future as well. Once again I congratulate you all for these development schemes. I pray to mother Tripura sundari for your family’s prosperity and your state’s all round development. Thanks to all! Jotauno Hambai. Bharat Mata Ki Jai!