INTERVIEW OF THE MONTH
His Excellency
Shri Dinesh Nandan Sahaya,
Governor of Tripura.

For His Excellency Mr Dinesh Nandan Sahaya, the gubernatorial assignment in Tripura is a labour of love . As a young IPS officer Mr Sahaya had had a brief stint in this tiny state as the commandant of Bihar Military Police (BMP), posted here in the sixties. It was love at first sight as Tripura's landscape dotted with hills, vales and greenery deeply impressed him. With his dedicated  service Mr. Sahaya rose to don the mantle of Director General of Police in undivided Bihar and in recognition of his deep knowledge of administrative matters, towering personality and selfless service he was offered the governor's job first in Chhattishgarh and then in Tripura. An elderly man who exudes confidence and reassurance Mr. Sahaya's high profile conceals a warm and generous heart dedicated to peoples welfare. As the incumbent of Raj Bhawan his sole preoccupation is development of Tripura and welfare of its people and he has already got a number of developmental schemes sanctioned by centre for Tripura. In this exclusive interview His Excellency spoke his mind on important issues concerning Tripura to tripurainfo.com

Question : Your Excellency, it has been nearly one year since you took over as Governor, Tripura. What is your impression of the state? Do you think the state is advancing in proper direction to be at a par with the national standard in the sphere of socio-economic development? 

Answer : Tripura is a state endowed with natural beauty and vast natural resources whose potential is yet to be fully exploited in terms of enterprises and tourism. The state of Tripura is less developed in comparison to the developed states of the country in the mainland due to its geographical isolation and location disadvantages as the other North Eastern States. Yet, the state is advancing in the right direction in the sphere of socio-economic development and compares favorably with many national human resources and social indicators. The state has set itself on developmental initiatives and programmes and is working earnestly to bring the state at per with the other developed states of the mainland. The pace of development can further be accelerated should the natural resources available be optimally utilized in which direction the state is making vigorous efforts. 

Question : Your Excellency, apart from constitutional functions how can a Governor contribute to the state of his posting? What has His Excellency been doing to help Tripura? 

Answer : The Governor is an important and a vital link between the state and the Centre and he can play a role of a good counsellor and facilitator for the growth of the state. The Governor can certainly and significantly play a catalyst role in the progress of the state. Over and above, the discharge of his constitutional functions, which is indeed the core area, a Governor can lend his patronizing and supporting hand in pursuing and pushing the various developmental initiatives and projects of the state with the Centre. In fact, I have been doing it and it has been rewarding for the state. As a result of that push and persuasion many a matter of interest and issues relating to the state and a number of projects were expedited and concretized. Computerized railway reservation center at Dharmanagar, sanction of fund for improvement of 10 KM stretch of Kanchanpur-Vangmoon road and the remaining portion in the pipeline, speed up of Kumarghat-Agartala railway line, launch of mobile cellular services in the state and some incentives to small scale industries sector and sanction of power generating unit at Rokhia are some of them following my initiative with the Central Ministers concerned. I am also pursuing the issues relating to trade between Tripura and Bangladesh, transit facilities through Bangladesh and use of Chittagong port as well as Ashuganj Port and railway link between Akhaura and Agartala with the Union Ministers of External Affairs and Commerce.The Chief Minister of the state has always been good enough to seek my good office to back up important developmental initiatives of the state with the centre. We have thus been acting in tandem as far as the development of the state is concerned. 

Question : Your Excellency, what is the development potential of Tripura and why is this not being translated into reality? 

Answer : Tripura is strewn with abundant natural resources, which can well be exploited for its economic growth. There is a wide scope for the value added economic gains from the available natural resources, which would accrue from forest based, herbal and aromatic and agro based enterprises, floriculture, horticulture, small or medium scale bamboo, cane, rubber, food processing, handloom-cum-power loom and handicrafts enterprises for which talents are available in the state. All these unfold a viable potential and opportunity for the economic upliftment of Tripura. It is not a fact that the potential of Tripura is not being carried to its logical and productive ends. The state has put in serious efforts in this direction for achieving an all round development of the state and economic gains from it. However, what hinders its optimal turn over is its locational and communicational constraints and an over size impression outside the state in the mainland of the country of a serious disorder arising out of insurgency in the North Eastern States encompassing Tripura as well. 

Question : Your Excellency, what is the foreign investment potential of our state? We seem to be missing out as far as getting investment from outside is concerned. Why so? 

Answer : Power generating units and fertilizer industry based on natural gas available in Tripura have a fair scope for foreign investment. But the foreign investors, I think, are not inclined to it due to the state’s geographical remoteness, loss of contiguity with mainland, high cost structure and poor marketing facilities and infrastructural deficit as well as the prevailing insurgency in the region 

Question : Your Excellency, Tripura is known to be rich in natural resources, particularly in natural gas. How can this be exploited to ensure advancement of the state?

Answer : Natural resources and, fortunately, natural gas are available in plenty in Tripura, which holds a bright prospect for projects like power generation units and fertilizer industry in particular. Natural gas can be supplied house to house for domestic use also. It can be used as a fuel in the vehicles as a replacement of petrol and diesel. Fruit processing units may also be set up since fruits like pineapple and jackfruit grows in plenty in Tripura and are luscious and can well attract outside and external market. 

Question : Your Excellency, it is known that ONGC here confronts a problem of glut in availability of natural gas in Tripura. Why is it not being properly utilized for industrialization in the state? How do you propose to ensure optimum utilization of natural gas available in plenty? 

Answer : To utilize natural gas available in Tripura in a big way it has to have an outlet in heavy industries, which unfortunately is lacking in our state. A 280 M.W. capacity power plant is being established in Monarchak by utilizing natural gas available in our state with the help of the Central Government. Similar endeavour needs to be made for proper utilisation of natural gas available in plenty in our state. 

Question : Your Excellency, the development of Tripura is clearly the major casualty of insurgency. The state has been ravaged by insurgency over the past two and a half decades to the immense suffering of all the communities, particularly the backward tribals. How do you think can the problem of insurgency be resolved, taking into account the reluctance shown by the banned outfits to hold peace talks with the state government despite repeated appeals? 

Answer : Terrorism in one form or the other is a scourge of the globe, which has taken in its fold almost all the countries. Considering its serious dimension we need to evolve at the earliest its acceptable definition, take serious and proactive note of any violation of it and denounce terrorism in all its manifestation. Any state or country which provides ideological, economic, logistical, military or moral support together with providing safe havens to terrorist outfits must be branded state sponsored terrorism and struck accordingly. Terrorism to be countered effectively and decisively a sincere global synergised action has to emerge. Terrorism or insurgency also needs to be addressed at socio-economic plane in as much as developmental initiatives and execution elude deprived, disadvantaged and distressed segments of society and far flung areas. That provides a breeding ground for terrorism or insurgency. Focused socio-economic initiatives will have to be inevitably pushed through in such sectors. Terrorism or insurgency has also to be fought psychologically, something in the nature of brainstorming. In the minds of those who patronize it wittingly or unwittingly it has to be instilled that terrorism, militancy or insurgency and senseless violence there form is no solution to any problem social or economic or political and that such elements are a misguided lot who pose a menace to society and its well being. That will isolate the insurgents from people’s support. 

Question : Your Excellency, state government has repeatedly highlighted the role of Bangladesh in aiding and abetting militancy in Tripura and North East at large. But the Government of India is yet to take any strong initiative to put pressure on Bangladesh to cease backing the anti-Indian militants so far. Why so? Will you take up the matter with the centre on your own? 

Answer : The state Government of Tripura as well as other state Governments of the North East Region have unequivocally brought to the fore the role of Bangladesh in aiding and abetting militancy in Tripura and other North Eastern States. They are demanding that the Government of India should exert pressure on the Government of Bangladesh to desist from backing and harbouring the militancy in its territory. Government of India in turn, continues to hammer the issue on the Government of Bangladesh through expected response has been evasive and lackadaisical from the Government of Bangladesh. 

Question : Your Excellency, the election to the parliament is knocking on the door. Do you think election will be held in our state peacefully? What is your comment on coming election? 

Answer : Tripura has a tradition of holding smooth and peaceful elections in the past by and large. Though some secessionist forces and insurgent outfits tried to disturb the election process in the past their efforts could not succeed. This time also, I hope, their design will be foiled and the conduct of the election will be largely peaceful. 

Question : Your Excellency, what will be your message to the people of the state, particularly the unemployed youths? 

Answer : That will be to restore peace and harmony in the state, the absence of which has done immense harm to the interest of the state, avail of the generous rehabilitation package of the state Government for the surrenderee insurgents, open heartedly come forward to participate in the development process and initiatives of the state and turn Tripura into a model developed state of the country. To the youth of this state I will also tell that far from chasing the government jobs, whose scope is shrinking day by day and it will be so in future, they may seize the opportunity of aquiring necessary technical and vocational skills to become self reliant, and enterprising and avail of the opportunities which the banks and other financial institutions and the Government hold out for self entrepreneurship.
I would also like to urge on the misguided youth segment of our state to shun the path of violence, join the main stream of society and exert pressure on their brothers to shun it similarly in order to transit to the fuller and much needed all round development of the state and a happy and prosperous Tripura.