Agartala, March 21 Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha said on Saturday that preliminary work for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls has begun in the state.
Speaking to reporters after attending a workshop conducted by the BJP, Saha said there is no need for people to panic over the exercise.
"The Election Commission has initiated SIR in different states to ensure that no valid voters are left out. In our state, officials have already begun preliminary work for the exercise even as a formal notification is yet to be issued," he said.
The workshop, held at the Saheed Bhagat Singh Youth Hostel, was attended by BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh and former MP Vinod Sonkar, besides state ministers and party leaders.
"In today's workshop, we discussed how the party can extend help to the voters during the SIR exercise. We will ensure that no valid voter is left out of the electoral rolls," Saha said.
"Tripura is surrounded by Bangladesh on three sides. We have to ensure all the eligible voters get a fair chance to exercise their democratic rights," he said.
Responding to strong reservations among opposition parties over allowing private universities in the state, the CM said a small state like Sikkim has 23 universities.
"If Sikkim, having a population of 8 lakh, can have 23 operational universities, why can't Tripura have more such institutions? Today, Sikkim has the highest GSDP and per capita income among the northeastern states," he said.
Members of the opposition CPI(M) and Congress walked out of the assembly on Friday, protesting three bills, allowing the setting up of three private universities.
Saha said that if new universities come up in Tripura, students from outside the state will arrive here to study.
"This will definitely help our economy. We will keep a close eye on the functioning of the new universities. The government will not allow them to function if they don't have UGC approval or registration," he said.