Agartala, Aug 15 (IANS): Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb on Saturday said with the improvement in rail, road, air and waterway connectivity, Tripura would be the logistics hub of the north-eastern states.

Three projects are now underway to link Tripura with Bangladesh through rail, road and waterways, he added. After the completion of these projects, Tripura and the neighbouring north-eastern states would be connected with other parts of India and the world via Bangladesh.

Hoisting the national flag at the famous Assam Rifles ground in Agartala on the occasion of Independence Day, the Chief Minister said Tripura's capital Agartala topped the Smart City rankings among 10 cities of the eight north-eastern states.

"According to the Smart City rankings released by the Centre, Agartala was at the 56th place -- up from the 74th position -- among 100 smart cities in India."

Deb said Tripura is the only state in the country that had recently conducted a statewide survey under which over 12,000 health workers visited all the nine lakh households to detect Covid-19 patients.

The Chief Minister said to provide employment to thousands of people and to earn revenue, the Tripura government has undertaken ambitious projects and schemes.

Deb, who also holds the Home and Health portfolios, said due to the rigorous efforts of the state government, crime has declined by 32 per cent and crimes against women dropped by 40 per cent.

Deb said 34,000 Reang tribal refugees, who fled from neighbouring Mizoram, would be rehabilitated in Tripura and for that the Central government has announced a Rs 600-crore package.

Deb announced social pension for more than 30,000 people in addition to the 3.93 lakh people currently receiving the pension under various Central and state government schemes. He claimed that the per capita income and GDP have increased substantially.

Independence Day celebrations in Tripura were a low-key affair this year owing to the Covid-19 pandemic.