The Hindu : National : Time for change in Tripura, says Manmohan Singh

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Time for change in Tripura, says Manmohan Singh

Sushanta Talukdar

"More than five lakh people remaining jobless in a small State is a dangerous situation"

Every village will get electricity, road connectivity
Says only the Congress has succeeded in bringing terrorist groups to the path of peace

— Photo: Arunangsu Roy Chowdhury

ALL EARS: Ryang tribal women listening to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at an election rally at Udaipur, Tripura, on Tuesday.

Udaipur (Tripura): Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday said the time had come for a change in Tripura and voters should bring the Congress to power in the February 23 Assembly polls.

The State had been under the Left Front rule for the past several years. But only the Congress could bring development to Tripura, he told an election rally at this headquarters town, a Left Front stronghold and birthplace of Chief Minister Manik Sarkar.

Mainstreaming northeast

“The Congress is the only party which has always been trying to bring the northeastern States into the mainstream and making efforts to integrate them in the development process.”

Dr. Singh said the Centre had made a huge allocation to Tripura under Bharat Nirman for rural electrification. It had allocated Rs 250 crore for connecting villages by road.

Pointing out that 350 villages in the State did not have electricity, Dr. Singh promised the electorate that the Congress, if voted to power, would ensure that every village had electricity and was connected by road.

Job scheme allocation

Under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, the UPA government had so far allocated Rs 150 crore to Tripura, benefiting lakhs of people. Expressing concern at the growing unemployment, the Prime Minister said more than five lakh people remaining jobless in a small State was a dangerous situation.

He attributed the rise in unemployment to the absence of both big and small industries in Tripura.

“Tripura needs peace and security. Tripura needs development and progress. People of Tripura need employment and a means of livelihood. You should keep in mind the fact that only the Congress party has succeeded in bringing terrorist groups of the northeast to the path of peace by holding talks with them.

“I promise you that if you vote for the Congress to strengthen the hands of Soniaji and install a Congress government, then we will provide you a government that will restore peace in Tripura too,” the Prime Minister said.

Gas reserves

The Prime Minister last visited this headquarters town two years ago to lay the foundation for a 750-MW gas-based power project of the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation at Palatan, about 5 km from here.

He said Tripura had huge natural gas reserves, but these were yet to be utilised.

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