PTI
AGARTALA, October 9
Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar welcomes the proposal of Bangladeshi investors to set up garment industries in the state, a top diplomat has said. “Bangladeshi industrialists who have garment factories, requested me to take up the issue of setting up garment industries in Tripura with Chief Minister Manik Sarkar.Sarkar has welcomed the move. The CM has said that since there were many industrial growth centres in the state, allotment of land would not be a problem”, Deputy High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Sandeep Chakraborty told reporters here yesterday. Chakraborty said he would discuss the issue with garment industries owners on his return to Dhaka and added there was congenial atmosphere for setting up industries in Tripura. He said the state was going to be a power surplus state within a short time with the second unit of 726 mg watt gas based thermal power project at Palatana starting it’s generation.
The diplomat said there were some technical problems in Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) from the Bangladeshi side which could be sorted out following discussions with the Governor of banks in that country. Earlier this week, Chakraborty said Bangladesh government had announced creation of ‘Special Economic Zone’ (SEZ) for Indian investors due to good bilateral relations between the two countries.
“Bilateral relations between India and Bangladesh have improved a lot. The neighbouring country has announced to create Special Economic Zone for the Indian investors,” he told reporters on Monday after a meeting with the state power and transport minister Manik De.
Chakraborty arrived here on a four-day visit on Monday through Akhaura border to review the progress of different connectivity projects between the two countries through Bangladesh and transmission of 100 MW power from the 726 MW Palatana power project in South Tripura district. Tripura has a 856 km long border with Bangladesh which constitutes 85 per cent of its total border.
Chakraborty said, “Ashuganj port on the river Meghna, which is just 37 km from Agartala and carried the dimensional machines for Palatana power project, would be improved and upgraded by Indian government for transportation of goods to the north eastern states through Tripura.”
He said an Indian government organisation was preparing a Detailed Project Report (DPR) to assess the cost of developing the port. Chakraborty said India would put in place a high tension power corridor of about 45 km from Suryamaninagar here to Rabindranagar, a bordering village to cater 100 MW power to Comilla in Bangladesh. He said the progress of laying 15 km railway track from Agartala to Akhaura in Bangladesh was satisfactory. This which would connect Bangladesh and Indian railways through North-East soon. Chakraborty would also visit Palatana power project in Gomati district and Sabroom in South Tripura district to review the progress of constructing a bridge on the river Feni to connect Indian territory with the Chittagong area from where the Chittagong port is just 75 km.
