Reported by Mrinal Banik
Agartala: Smart border management solutions will be implemented in Tripura as part of a broader strategy for frontier states in the Northeast and eastern India, Chief Minister Manik Saha said on Tuesday ahead of Union Home Minister Amit Shah‘s scheduled visit to the state.
Speaking to reporters, Saha said Shah is expected to arrive in Tripura on June 4 primarily to review the status of border fencing and assess issues related to securing the state’s international border.
“The Union Home Minister is primarily arriving to review and assess the border fencing of our state. It would not be possible for him to visit all the areas where fencing-related issues have emerged, but he will visit some of the areas that need urgent attention,” Saha said.
The Chief Minister said it has been decided that smart border solutions would be adopted in Tripura as part of efforts to strengthen border management.
According to him, similar border strategies are proposed to be implemented in Assam, Tripura and West Bengal.
The proposed measures come amid ongoing efforts to address challenges related to border infrastructure and surveillance along the international boundary in the region.
The Union Home Minister is set to land here on June 4 but his public events are scheduled on June 5.
Saha also said Shah is expected to attend a programme related to the redevelopment of Pushpabanta Palace in Agartala.
The state government is developing the palace into a luxury hotel while retaining its heritage architecture and character, he said. An agreement in this regard had earlier been signed with Indian Hotel Company Limited (IHCL), he added.
Separately, Saha said he would make two presentations in the ensuing North Eastern Council (NEC) meeting on investment in the North East and resolving connectivity issues in the region.
“I have been assigned responsibility to head committees tasked with formulating policies to attract investment to the Northeast. I will make a presentation on investment promotion and infrastructure development during the NEC meeting scheduled on June 4,” he added.
The Chief Minister said connectivity challenges in the region and measures required to address infrastructure bottlenecks would figure in his second presentation.
“The other chief ministers will also give presentations on the domains they have been asked to work upon,” he added.
Saha was speaking to reporters after inspecting preparations at Pushpabanta Palace ahead of the foundation stone-laying ceremony.