ADB team in Tripura to study funding feasibility

Agartala, Oct 17: A five-member delegation of Asian Development Bank's (ADB) arrived here today to make feasibility studies on Detail Project Report (DPR) of Urban Development projects submitted earlier.

The project was aimed at ensuring overall development of the urban facilities including water supply, sewerage and sanitation, solid and bio-medical waste management, traffic and transportation, electrification in town areas, flood control and slum upgradation as well as heritage conservation in the towns.

The ADB officials would visit the proposed sites, apart from meeting the Agartala Municipal Council and other Nagar Panchayat officials as well as Urban Development Minister of the state during their five days stay in Tripura.

State Urban Development Minister Manik Dey stated that ADB had announced a face-lift project in 2005 for the five capital towns of the region including Agartala by 2011.

''But the project is yet to progress as it was supposed to be launched last year. Along with Agartala, ADB has announced to invest Rs 900 crore in various urban development projects in four other state capitals of the region including Aizwal (Mizoram), Gangtok (Sikkim), Kohima (Nagaland) and Shillong (Meghalaya). About Rs 400 crore is earmarked for Agartala only,'' Mr Dey said.

With the ADB initiative, the Union government had agreed to allow 90 per cent of the total sanctioned amount as grant to Tripura, as the interest would be borne by the Centre. The state would pay interest for 10 per cent only, officials informed.

The North Eastern Urban Development Project (NEUDP) Phase-I had sought to improve urban infrastructure in five capital cities - Agartala, Aizawl, Gangtok, Kohima and Shillong, while the DoNER Ministry had requested the five project states to carefully consider the reform agenda proposed by ADB, sources elaborated.

On the other, the ADB's Technical Assistance for the North Eastern Urban Development Project (NEUDP) Phase-II, covering Guwahati, Imphal, Itanagar and Dibrugarh, was also scheduled, sources stated.

UNI