8888677771 | Tripura govt asks Durga Puja organisers to join fight against drug menace | India News

“We will honour the first three rank holders with financial assistance and certificates. Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha will honour them,” said Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Tinku Roy at a press conference at the Civil Secretariat in Agartala.

Earlier this year, the Chief Minister had said that Tripura has turned into a major corridor for drug trade. The route used for the trade includes different northeast states and even Bangladesh.

As per statistics of different security agencies, Tripura now ranks highest in seizures and destruction of illegal drugs across northeast India.

Initiatives in sports sector

On a different issue, Roy said the Sports and Youth Affairs department will organise a national-level yoga competition in the under-17 category in Agartala from November 22 to 27.

“Participants from different states will take part in the competition. We are hoping to make a big arrangement. Our department has already started working for it,” he said.

“In the sports sector, the state government has undertaken several tasks, including renovation of the indoor hall of the NRCC and two yuva awas buildings at Udaipur in Gomati district and Kailasahar in Unakoti district. The construction work of a 200-bedded yuva awas at Ambassa is on the verge of completion and would soon be inaugurated by Saha,” Roy said.

“We have also set a target to complete all half-done construction works by March next year,” he said.

Roy also informed that Tripura will soon start a scheme named ‘Mukhyamantri Krira Unnayan scheme’ to provide financial assistance to the sporting talents by bringing them under insurance cover at the earliest.

Initiatives in labour sector

In the labour sector, the minister highlighted different initiatives taken by the government for tea garden workers, their children and others.

According to Roy, the initiatives by the Labour department include providing land to 2,000 tea-garden workers under the Tea Workers’ Welfare scheme, puja bonus to all outsourced workers engaged in different tasks like, housekeeping and unorganised labourers, education loan for 6,960 children of labourers, marriage benefit of Rs 50,000 to 135 women construction labourers in the 2022-23 fiscal year under the Construction Workers’ Scheme, medical benefits to pregnant women labourers and benefits to 865 pensioners.

“A slew of developmental construction works are on. For this, labour is a big priority. We are trying to convince labourers to take benefits of ESI. We also have plans to make a few sheds for the labourers near the Govind Ballabh Pant (GBP) hospital so that people who come for treatment, can get low cost accommodations,” said Roy.

Other benefits under BJP-IPFT government

While comparing the benefits given during the former Left Front government, Roy said, “In the Left regime, marriage benefits of only Rs 10,000 used to be given. The BJP-IPFT government gives Rs 50,000. Accident benefits of only Rs 5,000 used to be given then and now it has been raised to Rs 4 lakh.”

“We hiked the amount given to the youths pursuing ITI or any diploma courses from Rs 8,000 to Rs 12,000 and from Rs 5,000 to Rs 20,000 for general degree courses,” he said.

He added that the government has provided financial assistance to 23 persons for their treatment from the Juvenile Justice Fund, that provides funds between Rs 10,000 and Rs 3,00,000.

Currently, 2,036 HIV patients and 2,865 cancer patients are getting allowances of Rs 2,000 each every month.

“After I took charge of the Social Welfare and Social Education department, this year, 83 HIV patients and 270 cancer patients were added for allowance benefits. We are also giving Rs 4,000 as allowance to children who lost their fathers or have been deserted by their fathers,” the minister said.