Agartala, Feb 22: The Tripura government has deployed artificial intelligence (AI)-based analytics to detect the state’s fiscal irregularities, particularly tax evasion.

Shedding light on the state’s fiscal challenges, Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha expressed concerns over rising cases of tax frauds and announced the formation of a dedicated Tax Intelligence Unit to tackle tax evasion.

“We have recently created some new posts for this, and AI-based analytics have been incorporated to find out the lapses. Tax evasion in Tripura will no longer be an easy task. The government has noticed that a circular trade of rubber is underway in Tripura. This fake input tax credit system needs to be addressed,” he said, during an awareness camp organised by the Finance Department, on Saturday.

The Chief Minister also revealed that a significant portion of the state’s annual budget—amounting to approximately ₹27,800 crore—is spent on liabilities such as salaries, pensions, and loan repayments.

“Our annual stands somewhere around Rs 27,800 crore, out of which only Rs 3,700 crore is generated from our own revenue collection, or in simple words, our own tax collection,” the Chief Minister said.

A major concern raised by Saha was the financial strain inherited from the previous government, which left a debt burden exceeding ₹13,000 crore.

“People are very much aware that the previous government had left a debt burden of over Rs 13,000 crore, which is being repaid now,” asserted Saha.

Despite these liabilities, the government is left with around ₹10,000 crore for development, of which 25% is allocated to the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) and 10% to urban and rural local bodies.

Dr. Saha acknowledged that financial constraints often hinder development projects, leading to stagnation in critical sectors.

He also asserted that around 39% of the total budget is spent for the Tribal District Council areas. “There are multiple centrally aided projects for which funds are spent in ADC areas,” he said.

His remarks come amid growing dissatisfaction from the TTAADC administration, governed by Tipra Motha, over the allocation of funds.

Party founder Pradyot Kishore Debbarman has been advocating for direct central funding to address developmental gaps in tribal areas.