Agartala, Nov 12 — The Tripura government will soon promulgate an ordinance to amend and repeal several archaic laws as part of its ongoing initiatives to promote decriminalisation and improve the ease of doing business in the state.
Addressing the inaugural session of a regional workshop on decriminalisation reforms for Northeastern states in Agartala on Thursday, Industries Department Secretary Kiran Gitte said a proposal to amend and repeal several Acts would be placed before the state Cabinet in the second week of December.
Following approval by the Cabinet, an ordinance would be promulgated to give effect to the proposed changes.
He said the initiative would bring Tripura into the league of states that have undertaken reforms by amending or repealing outdated and archaic laws to create a more business-friendly regulatory environment.
Among the key legislations proposed to be amended in the second phase of reforms are the Tripura Agricultural Produce Market Act, Tripura Housing Board Act, Municipal Act, Tripura Panchayat Act, VAT Act, Fire and Emergency Services Act and Tripura Jal Board Act, among others.
In addition, four Acts, including three under the Education Department and one under the Agriculture Department, are proposed to be repealed as part of the state government's efforts to simplify the existing legal and regulatory framework.
Gitte said that in the first phase of the exercise, the state government had already repealed six Acts and amended four others.
The proposed second phase would further expand the scope of reforms by addressing outdated provisions in various sectors.
Highlighting the impact of the state's decriminalisation and ease of doing business initiatives, the Industries Department Secretary said the reforms had helped Tripura improve its position significantly, moving from the 29th rank to the top position in the country's reform rankings.
He also added that accelerated business reforms had contributed to attracting as many as 41 educational institutions to the state.
These include institutions in the fields of medicine, pharmacy and nursing, among other disciplines.
Speaking at the programme, Rakesh Kumar Prajapati, Director of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) under the Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry, said that despite the economic reforms introduced in 1991, the manufacturing sector had remained far from achieving its desired growth potential in the absence of a comprehensive Ease of Doing Business policy.
He added that the launch of the reform agenda in 2014-15 had brought significant changes to India's industrial and manufacturing landscape.
Citing the mobile phone industry as an example, Prajapati said the sector had witnessed a remarkable transformation, with mobile phone exports rising from around Rs 1,500 crore to Rs 2 lakh crore in 2024-25.
He added that the growth of the mobile phone industry demonstrated the impact that policy reforms and an improved business environment could have on manufacturing and exports.
The regional workshop brought together senior officials and representatives from various departments to deliberate on decriminalisation reforms and measures to simplify regulatory procedures across the North-eastern states.
Tripura Chief Secretary J.K. Sinha, Secretaries Abhishek Singh, Prashant Kumar Goyal, Milind Ramteke and K. Shashi Kumar, and Inspector General of Police (Law and Order) Manchak Ipper, among others, were present at the programme.