Tripura CM Manik Saha Vows to Prevent Insurgency Comeback Amid Border Concerns

Agartala: Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Monday asserted that his government would never allow insurgency to return to the northeastern state.

His comment comes days after reports of the movement of armed militants across the border in North Tripura's Kanchanpur.

Addressing a programme here, Saha said, "Some people are saying that insurgency is set to stage a comeback in the northeastern state. We are keeping a close eye on the situation and the security forces have been asked to take necessary steps...We will not allow the insurgency to return”.

Kanchanpur, which witnessed bloodshed in the late 1990s, is a subdivision of North Tripura and shares a 48-km international border with Bangladesh’s two districts Khagracherri and Bandarban.

The border is fully fenced, barring a 300-metre stretch because of hilly terrain.

Taking a dig at the opposition, the chief minister said they don’t see development in the northeastern state.

“The small state had organised the 72nd plenary session of the North Eastern Council (NEC) successfully. Earlier, Guwahati or Shillong used to host such a mega event. This time we did it successfully with the governors of the northeastern states applauding the arrangement. They expressed their wish that Agartala will host such an event again," he said.

Saha, who recently visited Delhi, said he had demanded an AIIMS or NEIGRIHMS hospital in the state to boost the healthcare facilities.

“Recently, I went to Delhi and pushed for setting up AIIMS or NEIGRIHMS-like healthcare institutions so that the people could get modern health facilities in the state," he said. 

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