BY TC News Desk
Agartala, 6th February 2026 : A total of 55 tribal youths from Sepahijala district’s No. 2 Pathaliaghat successfully completed training in Tailoring and Household Electrical Wiring under the Micro Enterprise Promotion Program (MEPP). Certificates were formally handed over at a ceremony held at the Agartala Press Club auditorium.
The program was organized by NB Institute for Rural Technology (NBIRT), also known as Arkaneer, with financial support from the Indian Small Industries Development Bank (SIDB).
The distinguished guests at the event included Chief Guest Bappa Kishore Roy, Assistant Manager of SIDB Agartala Branch; Special Guest Sukumar Debbarma, a noted social worker from Warangbari, Pathaliaghat, Bishramganj; and Chairperson Prof. (Dr.) Shantipada Gan Chaudhuri, President of Arkaneer and an eminent technologist.
Other attendees included NBIRT officials, MEPP project executives Arun Acharya, Nandan Chakraborty, Payel Debnath, trainers Gopa Sarkar Gupta (Tailoring) and Manoranjan Debbarma (Electrical Wiring), among others. The event was smoothly conducted by Aparajita Banerjee.
Dr. Chaudhuri emphasized the importance of self-reliance and shared tips on setting up micro and small-scale enterprises. He noted that nearly 500 units are planned to be established in Sepahijala and Dhalai districts over the next five years, calling it a challenging but vital mission.
He expressed gratitude to SIDB for selecting Arkonir to implement the project.
Special guest Sukumar Debbarma highlighted the educational progress of tribal youths in Pathaliaghat and stressed the value of vocational training. He praised the organizers for conducting the first-ever hands-on training camp in Warangbari and requested more such initiatives in the area.
Chief Guest Bappa Kishore Roy outlined the objectives of MEPP and explained SIDB’s role in promoting small enterprises.
The certificate distribution generated great excitement among the participants, with several expressing plans to start their own businesses. Training for both trades had commenced on January 21, 2026.
NBIRT Program Officer Anup De informed that a similar tailoring training camp is underway at Jaharnagar in Dhalai district, scheduled to conclude on February 16, 2026.
