Tripura Seeks Special Grants for TTAADC, Fisheries, MSMEs and Border Security: Finance Minister Pitches State’s Demands Before 16th Finance Commission
By Our Correspondent
Agartala, July 8, 2025
The Sixteenth Finance Commission is scheduled to submit its report by October 2025, and in preparation, a crucial meeting was held on July 7 in New Delhi, where Tripura's Finance Minister Shri Pranajit Singha Roy, accompanied by Dr. Akinchan Sarkar, Additional Secretary of the State Finance Department, actively participated. The meeting was convened to discuss the special fiscal requirements of the seven Smaller North Eastern States, including Tripura, for inclusion in the upcoming recommendations of the Commission.
During the meeting, Finance Minister Pranajit Singha Roy made a compelling case for Tripura’s unique developmental needs. He emphasized the urgent infrastructure requirements of the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) and urged the Commission to allocate special grants for the region’s development. Highlighting persistent infrastructure gaps, especially frequent disruptions in road and railway networks during the monsoon, he called for targeted infrastructure funding to bridge these critical deficiencies.
The Minister drew attention to the ecological contributions of the Smaller North Eastern States. He pointed out that due to the significant role played by these states in preserving forest cover and ecological balance, there is limited scope for intensive economic activities. In light of this, he urged the Commission to consider assigning 20 percent weightage to ‘Forestry & Ecology’ in the horizontal devolution formula to ensure fair compensation for the environmental services rendered by the region.
He also raised concerns regarding the growing challenge of drug trafficking across Tripura’s international border, which compels the State to maintain a larger police force and thereby bear increased revenue expenditure. He requested the Finance Commission to factor in such extraordinary law and order costs while recommending fund devolution to Tripura.
Underscoring the potential of MSMEs and the tourism sector, the Finance Minister stressed the need for robust infrastructure to support these growth engines. He requested the Commission to consider dedicated grants to boost these sectors and unlock employment and income generation in the State.
In his submission, the Minister also addressed the State’s high fish consumption rate, stating that Tripura is among the top fish-consuming states in India. However, a majority of its fish is procured from Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, West Bengal, and Bangladesh. He therefore urged the Commission to recommend a special grant for fisheries infrastructure development to enhance local fish production and reduce dependency on external sources.
Another key issue flagged by the Minister was the socio-economic and political instability in neighboring Bangladesh, which has had a direct adverse impact on Tripura’s economy, especially in terms of cross-border trade, medical tourism, energy sector cooperation, and the overall flow of goods and services. He informed the Commission that these disruptions have weakened the State’s revenue base, and requested compensation for the revenue shortfall to ensure continuity in Tripura’s developmental initiatives.
The Tripura delegation concluded its presentation by reiterating the State’s commitment to fiscal responsibility while emphasizing the importance of central support to address its unique geopolitical and economic challenges.
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