Tripura will soon be connected with Bangladesh via train, said DoNER Minister Dr Jitendra Singh on Friday while speaking at the e-Symposia 2020.

The e-Symposia 2020 was organised by Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Centre for Policy Research & Analysis and IIM Shillong.

"The Indo-Bangladesh treaty for exchange of enclaves has cleared the decks for ease of business, ease of movement and ease of commuting," he said.

"This was earlier a tedious task and this has been accomplished under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi," Dr Singh added.

"Very soon we are also going to have a train to Bangladesh from Tripura heralding a new chapter and opening new vistas in the development of northeast by providing the entire region access to the seaports," he further said.

"This will boost the trade across the borders, especially with our eastern neighbours by leaps and bounds," he said.

Dr Singh also informed that the Centre has also come up with a new scheme called North East Road Sector Development Schemes (NERSDS).

NERSDS has been introduced for development and proper maintenance of interstates roads within the region.

"These roads have colloquially being called as ‘Orphaned Road’ because of its persistence neglect by both the connecting states," Dr Singh said.

"NERSDS has been introduced to erase this colloquial name of the roads of the region," he reiterated.

The DoNER minister also informed that the Centre and the ministry are also committed to promoting self-help groups.

"Livelihood projects to provide sustainable income to the neediest group of people, especially to the womenfolk who by tradition are quite industrious in this part of the country would be encouraged," Dr Singh said.

Desired impetus has also been accorded to the projects in areas like horticulture, tea, bamboo, piggery, sericulture, tourism etc.

In the emerging scenario, Dr Singh said, bamboo from the northeast is going to be an important vehicle of trade not only for India but also for the entire subcontinent.