Tripura CM Manik Saha announces free degree education for girls at state-run colleges

Free education for girls was among the BJP’s pre-poll promises in Tripura ahead of the 2018 Assembly elections. While former chief minister Biplab Deb administration had said that the state would make school education free for girls, Saha has now delivered on the promise starting with colleges and said there are plans to make education free for girls in schools as well as at the lone state university – Maharaja Bir Bikram (MBB) University.

Among other announcements made by the chief minister include the decision to set up additional CCTV cameras and automatic number plate recognition cameras in Agartala municipality and adjoining areas. The Rs 20 crore digital surveillance project is aimed at providing security, especially for women, in places where there are fewer security personnel. In the first phase, roughly 150 cameras are likely to be installed at a cost of Rs 7.61 crore.

As part of empowering women, Saha said a special help desk for women would be set up at all police stations in the state and a helpline number 1091 would be made operational for women to lodge their complaints and get quick response.