Agartala, May 23, 2025: Tripura’s Animal Resource Development (ARD) minister Sudhangshu Das on Friday announced that a fresh requisition has been sent to the central government seeking additional compensation for livestock farmers affected by the devastating floods last year.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the state-level review meeting of ARDD for the fiscal year 2025–26 held at the Directorate of ARDD, Minister Das noted, “We had released compensation immediately after the floods. Recently, more than ₹17 crore was disbursed to the affected farmers. But this is not enough — the demand is still high. That’s why we have approached the Centre for further support.”

The review meeting, attended by senior officials, district and field-level officers, focused on the department’s achievements, upcoming strategies, and socio-economic upliftment plans for livestock farmers across the state.

“The session also included a thorough analysis of on-ground challenges based on feedback from field officers. We’re aiming to strengthen the sector and support our farming community,” said Das.

Key discussions also revolved around achieving self-sufficiency in the production of meat, eggs, fish, and milk. A 100-day mission-mode action plan is being formulated to accelerate progress in these areas.

Addressing the state’s fish supply scenario, Das stated, “Tripura can meet its total fish demand through local production. Although imports from states like West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh continue, we do not need to rely on Bangladesh anymore.”

The minister stressed that external imports are only considered in exceptional cases, primarily due to cost and transport time advantages.