Biplab Deb said that when he checked the state's financial reserves he found out that the state was in a debt of Rs 11,500 core.
HIGHLIGHTS
Biplab Deb said that when he took over Tripura was in a debt of Rs 11,500 crore
He said that his government will make Tripura a drug-free state
Talking about his comments making news, he said people have always quoted him without hearing the full speech
During his tenure as Tripura's chief minister, Biplab Deb has made it to headlines often because of his statements. From hinting at the existence of the internet during the Mahabharata era to a needless examination of whether Diana Hayden deserved to win the Miss World title and whether she or Aishwarya Rai symbolised true 'Indian beauty', Biplab Deb has said it all.
Speaking to Rahul Kanwal at India Today Conclave East in Kolkata, Biplab Deb said that people have always quoted him without hearing the full speech."What I had said was there was something...Maybe it was internet, maybe satellite... but there was some technology. Else how did [the mythological character] Sanjaya see [the war between the Pandavas and Kauravas that] he saw," Deb questioned.On being asked if he was scolded by BJP chief Amit Shah because of his statement, Biplab Deb said that Shah never scolded him or said anything about his statements.When asked what he has done as the Chief Minister of Tripura in the past six months, Deb said that the first thing that his government introduced was transparency in the system. "It took me three and a half months to bring in transparency in the system. We introduced a transparent recruitment policy as well," he said.Biplab Deb said that when he took charge as the chief minister of the state he thought he'd have no work to do but was surprised by the amount of neglect the previous government had shown towards Tripura.He said that when he checked the state's financial reserves he found out that the state was in a debt of Rs 11,500 core. He said he would make Tripura a model state in the next three years.
On illegal immigrants
Biplab Deb said that issue of Assam NRC is an issue of Assam and the central government. He said that it the central government decides to approach Tripura for an Assam-like NRC, he'll take it forward but until then there are no plans of implementing an NRC in Tripura."We should wait for the results from the Assam NRC and then see if we want to implement it in other states or not," Biplab Deb said.
On Tripura's drug problem
Biplab Deb, in an interview, has said that Tripura's drug problem is bigger than Punjab's. Expanding on that, Biplab Deb said today that 50,000 kg of marijuana was confiscated from Tripura."We seized 50,000 kg of marijuana from various parts of Tripura. The mafia were growing it in the state. They used to pay Rs 500-700 per kilogram to farmers and sell it for Rs 20,000 per kg in the market," Biplab said.The Tripura CM vowed to make Tripura a "drug-free" state.
Can Biplab Deb do 45 pushups in one go?
Accepting Rahul Kanwal's fitness challenge, Biplab Deb pulled off 45 pushups in one go. Biplab Deb had earlier accepted the fitness challenge after being nominated by Union minister Rajyavardhan Rathore.As he finished doing pushups, the audience cheered for the Tripura CM.