Agartala, Aug. 13 : Leaving behind the turbulent times, Tripura is now steadily moving towards development.

New factories are coming up in the State. R. K. Nagar, located 10 to 12 kilometres from Agartala, previously a hotbed of militancy, now reverberates to industrial sounds instead of fire shots.

People here are participating enthusiastically in the process of development.

Alaka Ghosh, a worker, said: “Earlier, all the bamboo strips that were produced in Tripura were sent out. But with the setting of this factory these bamboo strips are being used here. It is a source of employment for the women.

“After completion of the household chores the women can earn some extra income for their families and afford children''s education. This has helped them use their time fruitfully.” Ghosh added.

Malina Dey, worker, said: “Earlier, this place was infested with militants. But with the setting up of different factories and development projects, the problem of militancy is almost over jobs are available now and youth are no more inclined to join insurgency."

Presently 3,500 women are working in this company making incense sticks. Employees here earn anything between Rs 2,000-3,000 a month.

ITC Limited set up a Jayanti Domestic Product Pvt. Ltd. three years ago here. It produces more than 25 million incenses sticks per month. It is now planning to expand the production to 100 million per month and market the product in a big way.

Pradutna, Factory In-charge, said: “A few years back this place was known as a remote area and it was a home for the militants but now due to these factories which is developed over here, it has changed a lot in the villages or in the remote areas. People now realize that instead of accepting the weapons if they come over here, if they work for their livelihood here, there''s a far better chance, a good chance for their livelihood."

Besides Jayanti Domestic Products, there are other industries coming up in the State as well. Interestingly there are some business units, which are being run by former militants who joined the mainstream and started life anew. They serve as an example of how peace can bring about transformation. (ANI)