Tripura tourism neglected under Left Front, foreign tourist arrivals rising now: CM

Agartala: Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Monday launched a sharp attack on the former Left Front government, accusing it of neglecting and “destroying” the tourism sector during its long tenure, and said the present BJP government has taken a series of measures to develop tourism, leading to a steady rise in foreign tourist arrivals.

The Chief Minister was speaking after laying the foundation stone for the development of the Tripura Heritage Village and Sangeet Experience under the Tourism Department’s Swadesh Darshan 2.0 scheme, along with an amusement park project at Sachindranagar in Jirania.

Saha said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has repeatedly referred to Tripura’s development during his public addresses, including election campaigns in West Bengal. He said the Prime Minister has mentioned Tripura’s progress on several occasions and recently chaired a meeting with Chief Secretaries where the state ranked first under Deregulation 1.

He claimed that Tripura has emerged as one of the leading states on several key indicators, stating that foreign tourist footfall has increased and is second only to Sikkim in the region. He added that Tripura now ranks among the top states in terms of Gross State Domestic Product growth and per capita income, and has been recognised by NITI Aayog as a front-runner.

Criticising the Left Front, Saha said the previous regime, which ruled the state for 35 years, never conducted foundation stone-laying ceremonies and did not believe in such traditions. He alleged that their ideological approach prevented them from prioritising development linked to culture, heritage and nature.

He said the present government is working in line with the Prime Minister’s vision of building a ‘New India’ and a ‘New Tripura’, focusing on infrastructure development, agriculture, tourism and the empowerment of self-help groups. He said women are being encouraged to become ‘Lakhpati Didis’ and that development work is being carried out without political discrimination.

The Chief Minister said the people of Sachindranagar would directly benefit from the new tourism projects, with facilities such as log huts, homestays and other amenities expected to generate livelihood opportunities. He said initiatives like the Unity Promo Fest have helped foster social harmony and promote Janajati culture and traditions, while cultural exchanges involving artists from outside the state have increased awareness about Tripura.

Referring to the tea sector, Saha said the state government has formulated new policies to support tea gardens and has held meetings to improve the sector, noting that Tripura tea has high-quality potential. He said tourism projects would also contribute to the sustainability of tea gardens in the region.

Reiterating his criticism of the Left Front, Saha said the previous government failed to recognise tourism as an industry. He said the BJP government has been working continuously to establish tourism as a key economic driver, in line with the Prime Minister’s call to develop innovative tourist destinations in every state.

He also mentioned the upcoming 51 Shakti Peethas project at Banduar, describing it as a future spiritual centre that would attract a large number of tourists. Saha alleged that the CPI(M) followed a policy of divide and rule, leading to industrial decline and unrest in the state, while asserting that the present government is working for all sections of society, including Jaati and Janajati communities.

Tourism Minister Sushanta Chowdhury, Tourism Secretary U K Chakma, Tourism Director Prasant Badal Negi and other officials were present at the programme.