World Bank team arrives in Tripura to study tribal development roadmap

A team of officials from the World Bank has arrived in Tripura to consolidate plans for implementing the project of Rs 1,300 crores for the development of tribal in Tripura.

Agartala: A delegation of the World Bank has arrived in Tripura to consolidate plans for implementing a Rs 1,300 crore project for the development of tribals in the state. The project was announced in principle by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman last year for the development of tribals in Tripura. Director Tribal Welfare Department, Dr Vishal Kumar said, "On August 27, 2021, the World Bank sanctioned the project with funding of 175 million dollars which is approximately Rs 1,300 crores."

"This project has been initiated for a period of five years. The project procedure and formulation will almost take two years and it, most probably, will be activated by April 2023. The team of the World Bank has already arrived in the state and is holding talks with people from different departments and visiting different areas. This is their third visit in a year. By the end of December, some plans will be consolidated by them and after the 2023 assembly election, this project will start in a full-fledged way and they will start releasing the funds," he said.

Kumar said that the main focus is on tribal development, especially on the development of infrastructure, education, and livelihood. "Under infrastructure, work will be carried out on roads in which 527 km of road will be renovated or will be constructed in a new way. In the education sector, among higher secondary schools, work will be done for 17 schools.

Works will be carried out on 23 tribal-dominated rural blocks in the state," the official informed. In the project, the World Bank has informed that the total cost of the project is 175 million dollars and among these, the World Bank will provide funds of 140 million dollars.