Tripura gets highest development target in 10th plan

Agartala, May 10 (UNI) Tripura has surpassed five other Northeastern states in terms of development during Tenth Five Year Plan.

According to Planning Commission's data, besides Tripura, Sikkim and Nagaland have also scored better and the performance of other NE states -- Asom, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Manipur and Arunachal, was not up to expection.

Justifying the performance report, Northeast Council's officials stated that it was possible only because of judicious use of funds and exceptional growth of primary sector during the period. Several infrastructural projects have been completed while the tourism sector in all the three states received a tremendous growth, NEC officials observed.

''It's all evident that the average growth of the country during the Tenth Plan was estimated around 7.2 per cent, but the growth rate of these states were found comparatively higher than the other states so far,'' the officials said.

They said that eleventh Plan has recognised the special problems of the Northeast, such as its geographical location, inadequacy of physical infrastructure and low level of entrepreneurship considering the growth rate of the tenth plan.

The thrust areas in Eleventh Five Years Plan will include improvement of transport infrastructure, exploration of natural resources and encouragement to tourism, horticulture, agriculture and forestry, the officials added.

UNI