Tripura CM Dr Manik Saha says the state has ensured 100% health coverage through PM-JAY and CM-JAY, highlighting healthcare expansion, development achievements, tourism growth and national awards while urging BJP workers to strengthen public outreach and make Barjala a model constituency.
Tripura Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha on Sunday said the state has emerged as the only state in the country to ensure 100 per cent health coverage for its citizens through a combination of the Centre’s Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) and the state-sponsored Chief Minister Jan Arogya Yojana (CM-JAY).
Addressing a large public meeting organised by the BJP’s 4-Barjala Mandal committee, Dr Saha highlighted the achievements of his government in healthcare, education, tourism and overall development. He said the objective of politics should not be limited to political activities but should focus on fulfilling people’s expectations, improving their quality of life and standing beside ordinary citizens.
“Politics should not be for politics alone. Fulfilling people’s expectations, improving their standard of living and standing beside them should be the main objective of the Bharatiya Janata Party,” Dr Saha said. He added that there could be no greater achievement in politics than bringing smiles to the faces of common people.
According to the Chief Minister, PM-JAY covers a major portion of Tripura’s population, while the remaining citizens are covered under CM-JAY, a state-sponsored initiative introduced on the lines of the central health insurance scheme. He said claims worth around Rs 307 crore have been settled under PM-JAY, while another Rs 50 crore worth of claims have been disbursed under CM-JAY.
Dr Saha also highlighted the expansion of healthcare infrastructure and medical education in the state. He said Agartala Government Medical College and GBP Hospital has secured the 131st position among medical colleges in the country and noted that the number of MBBS seats in Tripura has increased to 500. He further said that another 50 MBBS seats are expected to be allocated to the state.
The Chief Minister also spoke about the foundation stone recently laid for a new medical college in Ambassa. According to him, the institution is initially planned as a 50-seat medical college, although the chairman of the Bandhan Group, which is establishing the institution, has indicated that it could eventually become a 100-seat medical college.
Dr Saha further pointed to the opening of a new civil hospital in Agartala and said Homeopathic and Ayurvedic Medical Colleges are also coming up in Agartala and Udaipur. These initiatives, he said, would further strengthen healthcare and medical education opportunities in Tripura.
Turning to tourism, the Chief Minister said spiritual tourism has significant potential in the state. He highlighted the 51-Shakti Peetha project being developed at Banduar in Udaipur, which he said could attract a large number of visitors interested in spiritual tourism. He also cited the proposed luxury hotel at the historic Pushpabanta Palace as another example of Tripura’s growing tourism infrastructure.
Dr Saha said Tripura’s development achievements are increasingly receiving national recognition. He claimed that the state has received more than 360 national awards for excellence across various development parameters. He also said he would travel to Delhi on Monday to attend an event where he had been invited to speak about Tripura’s growth story.
The Chief Minister urged BJP workers to intensify public contact and organisational activities and called upon the Barjala Mandal to develop into a “model mandal”. He said the large gathering had strengthened his confidence in the party’s organisational work and stressed the importance of maintaining strong public support through people-friendly activities.
He also urged party workers to avoid the negative perception associated with politics and instead concentrate on serving people and communicating the government’s development achievements to every household.
Dr Saha further criticised opposition parties for opposing Bills introduced in the state Assembly for establishing new universities and educational institutions. Referring to neighbouring Sikkim, he said the state had attracted students by expanding its higher education infrastructure.
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He said Tripura was following a similar strategy to create more educational opportunities within the state, but alleged that opposition parties continued to oppose such initiatives.
Addressing the political situation in Barjala, Dr Saha said the mistakes of 2023 should not be repeated in the 2028 election. He called for unity in the interest of development, peace and progress and urged party workers to work collectively to “restore” Barjala.
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The Chief Minister also asked workers to take the government’s development record to the people and make citizens aware of what he described as misinformation and misleading political campaigns.
The meeting concluded with a renewed call for stronger grassroots engagement, public-friendly activities and organisational consolidation in Barjala, with Dr Saha emphasising development, healthcare, education and public service as key priorities of the government.
