Agartala, Nov 4: Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Ratan Lal Nath on Monday emphasized that achieving self-reliance in agriculture is the key to making Tripura self-reliant as a whole. He made the remarks while laying the foundation stone of the Tulasikhar Primary Rural Market under the Tulasikhar Agri Sub-Division.
The Minister informed that the state government has sanctioned ₹160 crore for the construction of 60 markets across all 60 assembly constituencies to strengthen the rural agricultural infrastructure. “The first and foremost need of every person is food, followed by water, housing, clothing, education, and electricity. Agriculture is the foundation of India,” Nath said.
He added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision is to make India a global grain bank through modern and sustainable agricultural practices. “About 70 percent of Tripura’s population depends on agriculture directly or indirectly. Therefore, becoming self-reliant in agriculture means advancing the state toward self-reliance,” he said.
Highlighting the government’s continuous efforts to enhance farmers’ income, Nath said the Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Department is working to boost productivity and ensure food self-sufficiency. “For agricultural growth, developing proper infrastructure such as rural and regulated markets is essential,” he noted.
The Minister further informed that since 2018, a total of 144 market development projects have been implemented in the state with financial assistance from NABARD under the RIDF project, involving an allocation of ₹303.43 crore. In contrast, only ₹20 crore was spent on market development during the previous government’s seven-year tenure.
Nath concluded by reaffirming the state government’s commitment to modernizing agricultural infrastructure and empowering farmers to contribute to Tripura’s journey toward economic and food self-reliance.
