AGARTALA, March 10 (TIWN): Ambassador of Belgium Jan Luykx on a visit to India also met Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar along with his 4 member’s team on Thursday at Civil secretariat.The meeting was organised by DoNER and Union External Affairs Ministry to explore the possibility of investment and business in the state.He was accompanied by the counsellor of economic affairs Antoine Delcourt, trade counsellor for Flanders investment and trade Alexis Bossuyt and trade counsellor for the Wallonia export and investment agency Christophe Van Overstraeten and also his wife Raka Singh.The ruling Left Front Government have always been lukewarm towards industrialisation of Tripura. It has also been allergic towards setting up IT industry. They have always taken a dim view and strong exception of the arrival of computer in India. Earlier, they used to register their objection by hitting the streets. And now they confine themselves only to verbal disapprovals.

This bears testimony to the fact that in the PARAM Supercomputer inaugural programme held at the National Institute of Technology (NIT), Agartala, CM Manik Sarkar said, “Computer can solve arithmetical problems. However, it cannot eliminate unemployment.”

On 23 March, 2016, Tripura is set to become the 3^rd internet gateway of India.

The faculties and students of NIT expected the CM to signal something positive concerning the inauguration of the Supercomputer and Submarine Cable. Alas! He spoke otherwise. It is because IT industrialisation would have seen the light of the day via the Submarine Cable. There would have been prospects of employment for the IT technocrats in the state.

However, the CM spared no words on IT industrialisation in an IT sector itself which left everybody shocked and flabbergasted.

Every year, IT aspirants of Tripura head towards outer states and even foreign countries for jobs. They are definitely holding their heads high. These individuals would have been in their homelands itself, should there have been flourishing IT industry in Tripura.

In 2014, Tripura Infoway held a conclave in which many bigwigs of India’s industry were invited. They attended as well. Tripura Industry Minister, Tapan Chakraborty was extended an invitation as well. However, he did not turn up.

Lack of industry is the pivotal reason behind growing unemployment in Tripura. The Government of Tripura has an industrial estate in Bodhjungnagar. Last year, 50 small industrial organisations acquired land and loan from the Tripura Industrial Development Corporation (TIDC) for setting up industry. However, within a year, 43 industrial organisations fled.

These organisations also acquired loans from some nationalised banks. However, those loans are yet to be recovered. There is also qualm whether those loans would be ever recovered. 

Belgium Team arrived to Tripura from Guwahati on Thursday evening and met CM Manik Sarkar and hold discussion on trade affairs.

Foreign delegates reached Agartala in the afternoon and hold meeting with the Chief Minister in the civil Secretariat.

The delegate’s team is also scheduled to attend a dinner party hosted by the Governor Before leaving the state, they will visit some potential areas of investment like bamboo and rubber on Friday, the Source added.

Belgium Delegates are scheduled to leave the state on Friday morning.  

Embassy of Belgium in New Delhi covers the services for India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, the Maldives, Bhutan and Nepal. Belgium also operates a consulate in Mumbai and Chennai.

Tripura Chief Minister has no interest in economic development of Tripura, other than generating high unemployment so that all jobless youths can work as CPI-M cadres for free of cost.