Agartala, Aug 24: A Satellite Biotechnology Laboratory was inaugurated at the College of Agriculture, Tripura on its 16th Foundation Day on Wednesday.

Agriculture minister Pranajit Singha Roy inaugurated the lab in presence director of the department- Sharadindu Das, of DBT-NECAB Director B.K. Sharma, CRPF Inspector General Rabvideep Singh Sahi and Principal of the College of Agriculture- Dr. Tapan Kumar Maity.

The laboratory has been set up in collaboration with the Department of Biotechnology- North East Centre for Agricultural Biotechnology (DBT-NECAB) of Assam Agriculture University.

Addressing the Foundation Day programme, the Agriculture minister said, there are 4.72 lakh farmers and 2.55 lakh hectare agriculture land in Tripura; the state government is extending assistance all possible assistance from soil testing to marketing of the produce.

He said, the state government almost reached Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s goal of doubling the farmers’ income. For paddy procurement, the Minimum Support Price (MSP) would increase to Rs. 20.40 per kg from the next year.

The Agriculture minister said, several consignments of lemon, pineapple and scented rice were already exported from the state. Now, the state government would take initiative for exporting the state’s spine gourd to Delhi market.

“There is a possibility that the College of Agriculture will soon get approval from the Central Agriculture University,” the Agriculture minister said.

In his welcome address, the Principal of the college said, around 80 students of 12 batches from this college got employment in various organisations across the country.

He placed a request before the Agriculture minister for introducing PG course in various segments, setting up farmers’ hostel in college campus and development infrastructure of the boys and girls hostels.

Some of the farmers and the best student of this Academic Year- Madhabi Debnath were felicitated in the programme.