Agartala Smart City projects to ensure better civic services: CM Saha

Agartala, Dec 30 (IANS) Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Tuesday said that the BJP government is committed to earning the trust and confidence of people across all regions through sustained development work, with a special focus on clean drinking water and improved civic services under the Agartala Smart City initiative.

Addressing a foundation stone–laying ceremony for five key projects at the Netaji Adarsha Shiksha Mandir premises in Agartala, Saha said the state government represents the people of all parts of the state and is implementing various schemes to address their day-to-day problems.

“The state government is working through multiple planned initiatives to deliver essential facilities such as food, clothing, housing, drinking water and electricity to the doorsteps of the people,” the Chief Minister said.

Saha simultaneously laid the foundation stones for a 5.50 MLD capacity water treatment plant at Netaji Adarsh Palli, a 1,000-kilolitre capacity overhead drinking water tank at Banividyapeeth School, the digging of five deep tubewells, provision of drinking water connections to 1,000 families in the Agartala Municipal Corporation area, and the expansion of 12 km of new drinking water pipelines.

Emphasising the importance of uninterrupted access to safe drinking water, the Chief Minister said the state government is working to ensure clean drinking water in every village and hilly area under the Jal Jeevan Mission. Similar efforts are underway to provide piped drinking water to every household within the Agartala Municipal Corporation (AMC) area.

He said the projects inaugurated on Tuesday, to be implemented by the Tripura Jal Board, involve an expenditure of Rs 22.55 crore. Acknowledging the temporary inconvenience faced by residents during ongoing development works, Saha assured that these efforts would lead to improved citizen services in the near future.

The Chief Minister further said that the state government and the AMC are jointly working to transform Agartala into a modern city through planned development. So far, 65 major projects worth Rs 580 crore have been implemented under the Agartala Smart City project to make the city cleaner, more attractive and citizen-friendly.

Saha added that drinking water connections have already been provided to around 85 per cent of households under the ‘Nal Se Jal’ programme, with a target to achieve 100 per cent coverage.

Alongside urban development, steps are also being taken to restore historical sites from the princely era and revive heritage locations across the state.

AMC Mayor and MLA Dipak Majumdar, Deputy Mayor Manika Das Dutta, Chairman of the AMC Central Zone Ratna Dutta, AMC Commissioner D.K. Chakma, Urban Development Department Secretary Abhishek Singh and AMC CEO Mihir Kanti Gop, among others, were present on the occasion.

sc/dan