Four new North East Development Financial Institution (NEDFi) sponsored projects in the pipeline for Tripura including one big power project at Sonamura involving a cost of Rs 180 crore. Overall the projects in the pipeline will cost Rs 201.44 crore with a loan component of Rs 32.31 crore . The corporation which started functioning since 1995 with a corpus fund of Rs 500 crore started operating in the state from October 15 last has so far sanctioned Rs 6.59 crore to six units in the state out of which Rs 4.57 crore has been disbursed.

According to sources , as the branch office has been opened at Agartala ,the corporation plans to go for pro-active approach in identifying the potential investors in the days to come like the setting up of an IT Park at Indranagar, Agartala, upgradation of NERAMAC , setting up of an Agri-Export Zone in Tripura for processing Pineapples .

On May 27 , under a NEDFi sponsored programme , a seminar will be held at SIPARD on Investment Potential and Infrastructure in Tripura which will be attended by many delegates from the reputed financial institutes of the country.

On the upcoming projects being funded by the NEDFi , sources added , stress have been laid on the micro-credit in the state and recently , two NGOs have been sanctioned Rs 10 lakh each , the first in the state .

They areYoung Development Club of Khasiamangal near Teliamura( set up in 1981) and Sankhadeep , a Dharmanagar based NGO.

The two NGOs are working for wild life preservation, medicinal plantation , wasteland development besides other issues like child development , school children , non school going children. " Under the NEDFi sponsored scheme , 193 self help groups will be formed " sources said adding that under the micro cred h per self help group is permissible . Sources added , there is a vast potential in the Patchouli Oil production as the state is very rich in marshy land like Assam . Already in Assam the project has been successfully implemented . NEDFi has already set up a Research and Development centre for Patchouli at Dispur.

Realising the potential for Potchouli plant ( Pogostemon heyneanus) , a shrub known for production of thymol , an aromatic compound , a proposal had already been sent to Guwahati for approval.Dried Patchouli leaves has an export potential to America .

Final reports have been placed before the NEDFi after completion of the feasibility report on some of the projects like development of regional air services , border trade with Myanmar and Bangladesh , development of leather industry in North Eastern region in it's first phase . In the second phase , product -specific techno-economic development study in Meghalaya , Mizoram , Nagaland and Tripura will be conducted likely to be completed by May 2002 . In the last phase , techno economic feasibility study for commercial utilisation of natural gas as Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) in transport sector will be taken up .

However ,North East Finance Development Corporation Limited (NEDFi) has expressed serious concern for the poor recovery position from the six units financed in the state, despite many promising projects . NEDFi’s annual report for the year 2001-02 said, the total dues as on November 15,2001 from the six units are Rs 79.79 lakh out of which only Rs 13.25 lakh has been recovered and the recovery rate stands at a dismal 16.60 % which is the lowest in the region .

NEDFi has been the centre of criticism by state government for their unwillingness to invest in the state in the recent times.