‘Human resource is our strength for industrialisation’ - A land locked state in the northeast corner of India, Tripura is handicapped by communication bottlenecks. Despite its abundant natural gas reserve and other resources, setting up big industry is not easy. The ruling Left Front government has focussed on small and medium-scale industries but continues to strive for bettering the communication and infrastructure and bank on its proximity to Bangladesh. Tripurainfoway.com caught up with the state’s Industries and Commerce Minister Jitendra Chowdhury for a lowdown on the present industrial scenario in the state.

 What is your present focus in Tripura for progress in industrialization?

Our primarily focus is on bettering the communications to this land locked state. For development of industry, it is essential to have a good rail, road and air connectivity. Tripura actually is not that good in connectivity. Industry is based on raw materials and they are often transported from other regions. Being a land locked state and the hindrances in communications, our focus is a lot on our own resources and thus on industries based on rubber, gas, horticulture, farm products and forestry. We have hills, rivers and lakes. We are also promoting eco-tourism. We are focusing on optimal utilisation of our resources. There is more scope for medium and small scale industry in Tripura. We have a growth centre called Bodhjungnagar Growth Centre.  The state is creating high quality infrastructure at Bodhjungnagar, which is about 12 Km from Agartala. Bodhjungnagar Industrial Complex is coming up on 535 acres of land with all modern facilities.

Human resources are essential for a state’s development in knowledge based sectors. How do you see Tripura in that index?

I think Tripura has excellent human resources. There is a large English medium educated population.

You share such a long international border (856 km) with Bangladesh and so trade and commerce with the neighbouring nation is but natural. What are the latest developments on that front?

One good thing now is the deepening of the ties between India and Bangladesh. The border environment is excellent now. We seven land customs stations. Out of these seven, two will be upgraded as check posts soon.  We can export to Bangladesh our local products and import from there too since they are closer to us and it is easier to import from Bangladesh cost wise compared to mainland India. Cost goes up when we transport things from other parts of India. At least 75 percent of our cement thus comes from Bangladesh.

Tripura has abundant natural gas of very high quality with 97 percent methane content and almost with near absence of noxious elements. It is a major industry there. We know that the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) is exploring gas. Can you update us.

ONGC is exploring the estimated reserve of five billion cubic metre (BCM) natural gas in Tripura. The state is now surplus in power generation. For the next 15 years we will be selling power to other parts of India and even Bangladesh. Now there is an agreement between India and Bangladesh to supply power to Chittagong (Bangladesh).

India’s biggest contribution to the global outsourcing industry is its expertise on Information Technology (IT) Where does Tripura stand in that respect?

We have not progressed much on IT but there is possibility and I would say it is better late than never. Tripura is the most literate state and as I said with a huge English educated manpower. Very recently one delegation went to Bangladesh to get the broadband gateway from Cox Bazar to Tripura. This will be after Mumbai and Chennai that the internet gateway will be from here if it materializes. It will improve the Internet services in the region greatly.

(According to recent media reports, the Bangladesh Government has granted in-principle approval to India’s proposal to connect Tripura with the international Internet gateway (South-East Asia – Middle East – Western Europe 4 cable system) passing through Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh. Cox’s Bazar is 200-250 km from Tripura.)

But our strength is that we have human resources. We are also setting up an IT park and we will invite players from different parts of India.

Over three decades of Left Front rule in West Bengal ended in 2011 for the government’s land acquisition policy. Seizure of land for industry unseated the Left in Bengal. It is a lesson for all. But industry is required and so is land for the same. What is the policy of the Tripura government in this regard?

We have less of big chunks of land. We do not have that much of land actually. But our policy is not to acquire land by force or by antagonizing people. At the same time we know that a state cannot progress based on only agriculture. Many people are actually giving land willingly for the progress of the state. For example for a massive fertilizer plant in North Tripura, people gave land wilfully.

(According to media reports, the state govt, ONGC and a private player signed an agreement for the urea plant to come up by 2016 at Kumarghat in North Tripura. The state govt will have 10 percent stake in the Rs 5000 crore project.)

So what are the positive signs for Tripura watchers?

Look so far air connectivity is concerned, there has been a lot of improvement. You can now come from anywhere to Agartala, do business here and then go back the same day. The broad gauge  rail link and highway projects are on anvil but the progress is rather slow I must admit. We have met the Railway Minister too in New Delhi. I think in the next four to five years broad gauge rail will be a reality in Tripura.