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Tripura to get special roadmap on agriculture: Union minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan
He was speaking at the state-level programme on rural employment scheme Viksit Bharat—Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin).
Union minister for agriculture and farmers’ development, and rural development, Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Wednesday announced that a special roadmap would soon be prepared to boost the agriculture sector in Tripura.
“The BJP’s first priority is to improve people’s lives. Though the agriculture sector in Tripura is good, we have decided that a special roadmap for Tripura would be good to have. A team of India’s topmost agri-experts and scientists would visit Tripura to examine soil and agro-climatic conditions, based on which, a roadmap on how to improve agricultural works in the state would be made,” the minister said.
He was speaking at the state-level programme on rural employment scheme Viksit Bharat—Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin), or VB-G Ram G, and at the inauguration of a series of rural development projects worth ₹546.73 crore at Swami Vivekananda Maidan in Agartala.
Referring to the VB-G Ram G Act, Chouhan said it is the complete roadmap of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of Viksit Bharat. The new Act is considered a major upgrade of MGNREGA to enhance employability, transparency, planning and accountability. It guarantees 125 days of employment to each household, beyond the earlier 100-day entitlement.
“This is Modi’s guarantee and this means his guarantee to fulfil the given guarantee,” he said.
He added that the Union Budget has allocated ₹95,600 crore for the scheme and that with the states’ contributions, the total fund would stand at ₹1,51,282 crore. There are 2.86 lakh panchayats across the country, he noted.
Targeting the opposition Congress, the minister alleged that there was propaganda against the Act, claiming that village development would stop and the rights of the poor would be taken away.
“Did the Congress work for rural development? Did the CPIM work for rural development? Mahatma Gandhi used to say that the soul of India lives in villages. If villages end, India will come to an end. CPIM did a sinful act to end villages, but a new chapter of rural development is being written under the leadership of PM Modi and Tripura chief minister Dr Manik Saha,” he said.
He further alleged that the UPA government allocated ₹2,13,000 crore during its ten-year tenure from 2004 to 2014, whereas PM Modi allocated over ₹8,54,000 crore in ten years.
Chouhan added that India would become “Vishwaguru” under Prime Minister Modi’s leadership. “The Prime Minister addressed the Northeast as Ashtalakshmi. We shall take Tripura to the number one position under the leadership of Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha and his team. But the Left Front ruled here earlier. What did they give to the people? Did they provide connectivity or enhance crop production or do any work on rural development? How many villages were developed during the former Left Front regime?” he asked.
Later, Chouhan posted on social media platform X: “Empowered village, prosperous Tripura and developed India. Today at the holy land of Agartala, Tripura, along with chief minister Dr Manik Saha, did virtual launch, foundation stone laying and land worship of various roads and other rural development projects constructed under the Prime Minister Gram Sadak Yojana. On this occasion, insurance letters were provided to beneficiaries of the Crop Insurance Scheme. Along with the PM Housing Scheme, acceptance letters were handed over to beneficiaries and benefits extended to sisters of self-help groups. Villages be empowered, farmers be prosperous, mothers-sisters be independent, youth move forward and Tripura grows; for this we will not leave any stone unturned under the leadership of respected Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji.”
Launching a scathing attack on opposition parties, Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha said they had tried to create confusion among people about the VB-G Ram G Bill after it was introduced last year in the Lok Sabha.
CM Saha said the Act would guarantee more work, durable infrastructure creation and tighter accountability in employment programmes. He added that employment generation is integrated with infrastructure development through four priority areas — water security through water-related works, core rural infrastructure, livelihood-related infrastructure and special works to mitigate extreme climate events.
He also noted that rural employment schemes have undergone several name changes since Independence, citing the Rural Manpower Programme in 1960, the Crash Scheme for Rural Employment in 1971, followed by more structured efforts in the 1980s and 1990s.
“All the names were changed earlier and as per today’s need of the hour, it was changed,” he said.
“The development of villages is essential for the progress of our states and nation. VB-G Ram G marks a significant milestone in advancing rural India. With 125 days of guaranteed employment, work schedules determined through Gram Sabha meetings based on local needs, regular wage payments, and several other essential improvements, this law is far more effective than any previous legislation,” the CM said on X.
