Chief Minister Prof. (Dr.) Manik Saha on Monday said that engineers play an important role in the overall development of the country as well as the state, and their contribution is highly significant in infrastructure development.

He also informed that Airtel is setting up a data center in Tripura, the first in the Eastern Zone.

Dr Saha was speaking at a program organized on the occasion of the 58th Engineer’s Day 2025 at Pragya Bhavan in Agartala.

At the program, the Chief Minister extended greetings to everyone on the occasion of Engineer’s Day. He said Bharat Ratna Dr. M. Visvesvaraya made significant contributions to drinking water resource management, for which he was awarded the Bharat Ratna.

“Today, on the occasion of Engineer’s Day, I pay my respects to him. We have various engineering institutions in Tripura — Tripura Institute of Technology, Polytechnic Institute, National Institute of Technology, Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT), ICFAI University, Techno India, and other engineering colleges are functioning in the state,” he said.

The Chief Minister emphasized that the contribution of engineers is undeniable in developing both the country and the state.

“Without them, it is not possible to move forward in any situation. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has repeatedly said to build Viksit Bharat 2047. He has laid out a roadmap in this regard. For this purpose, we have also started a roadmap towards a Viksit Tripura 2047. In this regard, Tripura ranks fifth in the whole country. If infrastructure is not developed, the state cannot progress either. The Prime Minister has also given special importance to infrastructure development. In this budget, about Rs 7,000 crore has been allocated for infrastructure. Engineers are needed to develop this infrastructure. From building design to bridges and roads, engineers play an indispensable role,” Dr Saha said. He further stated that engineers must work with greater responsibility.

“It is necessary to ensure accuracy in the implementation of projects. With technological advancement, the responsibilities of engineers have also increased significantly. Using engineering techniques, e-offices have been launched in the state — from the cabinet to the district, sub-division, block, and three-tier Panchayats. Many initiatives are being implemented in our state using engineering expertise,” the Chief Minister said. Dr Saha also highlighted the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the state.

“There are about 2.1 lakh entrepreneurs among MSMEs in our state. Airtel is building a data center in Tripura, for which we have already provided land. This will be the first data center in the Eastern Zone. Work in the health sector can also be enhanced using drones and AI. Today, on the occasion of Engineer’s Day, we should pledge to take Tripura forward. Engineers must explore ways to utilize the state’s own resources so that the life and livelihood of common people become easier, and the per capita income and GSDP of the state increase,” Dr Saha said.

Chief Secretary J.K. Sinha, NIT Director Prof. Sharat Kumar Patra, PWD Secretary Kiran Gitte, Rural Development Department Secretary Abhishek Singh, Institute of Engineers Chairman Parmananda Sarkar Banerjee, PWD Chief Engineer Rajib Debbarma, and representatives of various engineering organizations were present as distinguished guests on the occasion.