Agartala, May 16: Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha on Saturday said that along with infrastructure development, reforms are essential in every sector to keep pace with changing realities, and the state government is continuously carrying out reform-oriented initiatives by integrating modern technology into governance and development.

He said this after inaugurating the State Data Centre set up by the Water Resources wing of the Public Works Department (PWD) at the Vishweshwaraya Complex in Kunjaban.

The Chief Minister said that the National Hydrology Project was launched in 2016-17 as a flagship programme under the initiative of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Under the project, an amount of Rs. 4.67 crore was spent in the first phase for establishing the State Data Centre in Tripura, while another Rs. 4.50 crore will be spent in the second phase.

Dr. Saha said the State Data Centre would play a significant role in expanding irrigation facilities across agricultural lands in the state and also help in flood control management.

He noted that agricultural production is directly linked with the GDP growth of a state, and the establishment of the data centre would contribute to increasing agricultural output as well as boosting the state’s GDP.

Describing the initiative as a milestone for Tripura, the Chief Minister said accurate data generated through the centre would be crucial for flood management and water resource planning. He added that the Prime Minister’s vision is to combine knowledge with modern technology, and in line with that vision, the state government has introduced a three-tier eOffice system to bring greater speed and efficiency to administrative work.

Highlighting the state’s irrigation achievements, Dr. Saha said that by March 31, this year, around 1,23,754 hectares of agricultural land had been brought under irrigation coverage in Tripura. He said the government is taking further initiatives to expand irrigation facilities, and once ongoing projects are completed, an additional 10,401 hectares of land will come under irrigation coverage.

The Chief Minister also announced that 34 Minor Irrigation Storage-cum-Harvesting Structure projects would be implemented in the state at a cost of Rs. 972 crore. Once completed, these projects are expected to bring 6,137 hectares of land under irrigation.

On flood management measures, Dr. Saha said that 42 embankments with a total length of 152 kilometres have already been constructed in the state. In addition, work on 193 flood control projects aimed at preventing riverbank erosion in different rivers will be undertaken. He added that the government is also taking special initiatives to control floodwaters in several areas of Agartala and Gomati district.

PWD Secretary P.K. Goyal attended the programme as the guest of honour. Chief Engineer of the Water Resources Department Sudhan Debbarma delivered the welcome address, while Superintending Engineer B. Mog proposed the vote of thanks. Following the inauguration of the data centre, the Chief Minister also participated in a tree plantation programme.