Agartala, Mar 29: Tripura is set to receive a major financial push from the Centre, with Rs. 3,450 crore allocated under the newly introduced ‘Pride of Hills’ initiative in the Union Budget 2026–27.

The scheme, rolled out under SASCI aims to accelerate development across India’s hill states.

Reacting to the announcement, Tripura Tourism Minister Sushanta Chowdhury expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for introducing the initiative.

“I am particularly grateful for the allocation of Rs. 3,450 crore to Tripura under this scheme. This huge assistance will play a significant role in infrastructure development, growth in tourism and others financial needs in various sectors,” Chowdhury mentioned.

According to the Budget proposal, the ‘Pride of Hills’ scheme has been designed to strengthen capital investment in hill states while also helping them manage committed financial liabilities. The funding is in addition to allocations made under other components of SASCI for the financial year.

The Centre has earmarked a total of Rs. 25,000 crore under this segment for nine hill states, recognizing the structural challenges they face. Difficult terrain, limited connectivity, sparse population, and lower revenue generation capacity often make these states more reliant on central support.

Such states generally have weaker fiscal indicators, including higher debt ratios and lower own tax revenues, necessitating targeted financial assistance to sustain development and improve infrastructure.