ADB to give Rs 2100-cr loan to State: tourism development
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is likely to provide a Rs 2,100 crore loan to the state government for the development of urban areas and tourism in the northeastern state that borders Bangladesh, officials said here on Tuesday.According to Tripura's Urban Development and Tourism Department Secretary Gitte Kirankumar Dinkarrao, of the Rs 2,100 crore expected to be provided by the ADB as loan, Rs 1600 crore will be for urban development and Rs 500 crore for the tourism sector."Under the loan arrangement, initially ADB would provide Rs 40 crore for engagement of project design and management consultants for urban and tourism sectors. Once the projects are prepared, ADB would provide Rs 1,600 crore for development works in urban areas and Rs 500 crore in tourism sector over the next three years," Dinkarrao told our reporter.The Tripura Government has signed the loan agreement with the ADB in New Delhi on Friday.The state's Resident Commissioner in Delhi Chaitanya Murti signed the "Loan Negotiation documents of Project Readiness Finance" with ADB's Country Director Takeo Kanishi in the presence of Additional Secretary to the Economic Affairs Department of the Union Finance Ministry C. S. Mohapatra.Dinkarrao said that within next 6-7 months, the Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) would be ready and for this purpose two renowned consultants are being engaged.The Union Tourism Ministry under the schemes -- Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual, Heritage Augmentation Drive (PRASHAD) and Integrated Development of Theme Based Tourist Circuit in the Country, Swadesh Darshan (SD) -- provides financial assistance for infrastructure development and beautification of tourist spots in various states and union territories.After the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government assumed office in Tripura in March 2018, the Mata Tripura Sundari Temple Development Committee was replaced by the board of trustees named Mata Tripura Sundari Temple Trust.