Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha Calls for Direct Flights, Railway Project and Gas Rebate

At the 73rd plenary session of the North Eastern Council in Shillong on 31 January 2026, Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha listed a series of infrastructure and financial requests for his state. He asked for the immediate operationalisation of direct Agartala‑Chittagong flights, the early start of the Badarpur‑Sabroom double‑line railway, and a 40 % rebate on natural gas prices. Saha also sought the creation of an IT park, an AIIMS institute in Agartala, a World Skill Centre under the PM‑DevINE programme, and a Vande Bharat Express service between Agartala and Guwahati. He called on the Ministry of DoNER to raise the funding ceiling for external‑aided projects to Rs 10,000 crore and to increase the annual allocation under the “Pride of Hills” scheme from Rs 3,450 crore to at least Rs 6,000 crore.

Saha highlighted Tripura’s recent development gains, noting that the state’s Gross State Domestic Product has doubled in six years and per‑capita income now matches the national average. He cited over 350 awards, more than Rs 30,000 crore of investment and projects worth over Rs 8,000 crore in the last year, and the recognition of more than 200 startups under the state’s 2024 startup policy. Health improvements were also mentioned, including an 80 % drop in out‑of‑state patient referrals and the expansion of MBBS and postgraduate medical seats.