Rs 160 crore sanctioned for 60 new rural markets across Tripura: Minister 

Agartala: Tripura Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Ratan Lal Nath on Tuesday said that the state government has sanctioned Rs 160 crore for the construction of 60 rural markets across all assembly constituencies to boost agricultural infrastructure and empower farmers.

Speaking after laying the foundation stone of the Tulasikhar Primary Rural Market under the Tulasikhar Agri Sub-Division, Nath said self-reliance in agriculture is key to achieving overall self-reliance for the state.

“Nearly 70 percent of Tripura’s people depend directly or indirectly on agriculture. When our farmers become self-sufficient, Tripura becomes self-reliant,” he said.

The Minister stressed that agriculture forms the backbone of India’s economy and the dream of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is to transform the country into the world’s grain bank through modern, creative, and stable management of the farm sector.

“Food is the first necessity of every citizen. The foundation of India rests on agriculture, and the nation’s growth is incomplete without the growth of this sector,” Nath added.

Highlighting the government’s focus on strengthening rural market infrastructure, Nath said that the Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare has undertaken extensive initiatives to upgrade existing markets and establish new ones across the state.

“Development of agricultural infrastructure is crucial for achieving self-reliance. The department is implementing several projects for the development of primary rural and regulated agricultural markets,” he said.

The Minister said that since 2018, the government has completed 144 market development projects under the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) with financial support from NABARD.

He added that the government has utilised Rs 303.43 crore for these projects from 2018–19 till now, whereas the previous government spent only Rs 20 crore on market development during its seven-year tenure.

Nath further asserted that the state government is working tirelessly to increase farmers’ income and strengthen the agricultural economy through sustainable and market-oriented initiatives. “Our aim is to make Tripura self-reliant in food production and ensure prosperity for every farming family,” he said.