The Tripura Advantage
Tripura is surrounded by Bangladesh on three sides. Tripura , in the past, had excellent transportation links with the erstwhile East Bengal and through it, with West Bengal. The straight-line distance between Agartala and Calcutta is only about 350 Kms (approximately the distance between Madras and Bangalore). Many large towns in Bangladesh are within 150 Kms of the towns in Tripura as can be seen from the following :
- Agartala-Dhaka : 150 Km.
- Kailashahar-Sylhet : 90 Km.
- Sabroom-Chittagong : 75 Km.
- Sonamura-Comilla : 11 Km.
The transportation links were through rail, road and waterways. The railway network of Bangladesh runs along the state’s border. The economy of the State and the adjoining parts of Bangladesh has always been integral and any separation of trade, commerce and economy between the two is artificial and possibly, not maintainable. The ties between Tripura and Bangladesh are further cemented by very strong social and cultural linkages. The people till date share kinship ties and relationships through marriages. The languages and dialects spoken in different parts of the state are common with those in the neighboring districts of Bangladesh. Thus, the natural links of Tripura with Bangladesh are historical, deep-rooted and at several planes.
During recent years, a number of initiatives have been taken at the level of the Government as well as the business community, aimed at re-establishing the historical links between Tripura and Bangladesh. The official trade between Tripura and Bangladesh was started during 1994-95. As many as 8 Land Custom Stations have been notified for the purpose, out of which 3 are operational at present. The Bangladesh Government has also set up a Visa Office at Agartala. The present volume of trade in about Rs 170 million per annum, but the same is expected to increase fast, with the bringing down of tariff and other barriers under SAARC initiative. The declared goal of SAARC nations to make South-east Asia a "Free Trade Area" by 2001 AD has the potential of revolutionizing the Tripura Economy, as it will put an end to the geographical isolation of Tripura. Serious initiatives have also been taken in recent years for getting a transit route through Bangladesh , to connect Tripura with the rest of India as well as to the Chittagong Port of Bangladesh. Commencement of Border trade with Bangladesh is also under active consideration. There are also suggestions to re-establish the old Rail/ Road/ Waterways links with Bangladesh. All this augurs well for Tripura. It will effectively integrate the Tripura Economy to the rest of India as well as to the other countries in the Region. In fact, it will make Tripura the "Gateway to the North-East" and will give a great boost to the state economy.
It is expected that within next few years, the Tripura Economy will be effectively integrated with Eastern India as well as other countries in the Region. This would open up a vast market for the industrial units based in Tripura.
Infrastructure - Physical & Social
The Government of India has recently taken a number of initiatives to develop infrastructural facilities in Tripura and other North-eastern states. A broad-gauge Railway line is being extended upto the state capital, Agartala. Roads and Airport facilities are also being developed. Telecommunication facilities are being upgraded. As regards Power, a number of Thermal/ Hydel Power Projects in Tripura/ other North-eastern states are in an advance stage of implementation, as a result of which Tripura is expected to be Power-surplus by 1998. The power tariff is also very low in Tripura, being less than Rs. 1.00 per unit, as against about Rs. 3.00 per unit in other parts on the country. Moreover, natural gas available in the state can also be used as fuel (as substitute for electric power), which provides an alternative to the industrial units coming up in the state.
As regards social infrastructure, it may be noted that the state has a vast pool of educated/ trained manpower. As mentioned earlier, the literacy rate in Tripura is quite high and the state has a good network of educational institutions, including technical institutions. The unemployment rate of educated youth, including those who are technically qualified, is quite high. This can be turned into an advantage, by suitably deploying the available manpower, to meet the industrial needs
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