Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Monday, 24 August laid the foundation stone of a private medical college at Lalchhari in Ambassa, the headquarters of Dhalai district in northern Tripura, fulfilling a government pledge to establish a medical institution within the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) region. The Bhoomi Puja ceremony marked a significant step in the state's push to extend quality healthcare beyond the capital, Agartala.

A Promise to the Tribal Belt

Saha, who also holds the Health and Family Welfare portfolio, underscored that the project directly honours a commitment his government had made to communities in the TTAADC areas. The district of Dhalai is predominantly inhabited by tribal communities who have historically faced limited access to tertiary healthcare. He noted that the state government has already undertaken several development initiatives at Dhalai District Hospital and is continuing to strengthen the broader healthcare ecosystem in the region.

Employment and Socio-Economic Impact

The Chief Minister projected that the medical college would generate employment for approximately 5,000 people directly and indirectly once operational. He added that the college's leadership has indicated plans to establish a paramedical college at the same campus in the future, potentially expanding the institution's footprint further. Saha argued that the project would bring measurable improvement to the surrounding socio-economic conditions of the Ambassa area.

Broader Healthcare Expansion Across Tripura

Saha highlighted that the state's healthcare push is not limited to Dhalai. An Ayurvedic college is being established at Tepania in Udaipur, southern Tripura. The government has also resolved to create a health university by consolidating the state's existing health institutions under a single umbrella — a structural reform aimed at improving coordination and academic standards across the sector.

Investment Climate and State Rankings

Referring to a recent business conclave held in Agartala, Saha said approximately 1,200 industrialists from Tripura and other parts of India participated, with many expressing interest in investing in the state. He cited NITI Aayog data to assert that Tripura now ranks second among northeastern states in both Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) and per capita income, and that the planning body has designated Tripura a 'front-runner state'.

Dignitaries at the Ceremony

The foundation stone-laying was attended by Dhalai Zila Parishad Sabhadhipati Sushmita Das, MLAs Manoj Kanti Deb, Shambhu Lal Chakma, Swapna Das Pal, and Chittaranjan Debbarma, Health Department Secretary Kiran Gitte, Dhalai District Magistrate Vivek HB, Bandhan Group Chairman Chandrashekhar Ghosh, and HP Memorial Foundation Director Neelima Ghosh.

The project now moves to the construction phase, with local residents urged by the Chief Minister to extend full cooperation to ensure timely completion.