By Firstdespatch Desk Nov 03, 2022
Agartala, Nov 03 (FD) In a role of reversal, Janajati Morcha, tribal wing of Tripura’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today announced to launch state-wide protest and submit a memorandum to the state's tribal council's eight zonal offices spread across Tripura's eight districts against alleged corruptions and under-development in the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC).
Speaking to reporters at the party's state headquarters at Krishnanagar here this afternoon, Janajati Morcha leader Bidyut Debbarma said massive corruptions were done in different public welfare schemes like computer distribution, construction work for Kherengbar Hospital, which is the apex hospital in the Tripura ADC areas apart from purported unilateral diversion of funds.
Bidyut Debbarma, who used to be a senior BJP tribal leader earlier defected to TIPRA Motha but returned to BJP last month.
"We have got eight major heads where we are alleging under development and corruption in the ADC. We submitted memoranda to ADC sub-zonal offices earlier last month. We didn't notice any action from the administration, and so, we are submitting it again, but to the zonal offices this time", he said.
The Janajati Morcha, which is trying to find inroads into the state's tribal areas, is faced with a tough job ahead since the tribal council is headed by royal scion Pradyot Kishore-led TIPRA Motha - a party with which BJP state vice-president Ashok Sinha recently said his party would not strike alliance for 2023 assembly elections.
Political experts feel Motha, which is running with the slogan of Greater Tipraland, a proposed separate state for tribals of the state, holds significant sway in the tribal belts and in few non-tribal seats, where tribal voters have significant stake.
Asked if the Janajati Morcha is capable of tiding over the assembly polls on its own in the tribal seats, Bidyut said, "We are ready organizationally and politically across the state. We are perfectly able to tackle any challenge".
However, he reserved his comments saying the saffron party's Delhi high-command would decide whom it allies with.
Earlier on October 19 this year, BJP accused TIPRA Motha of being involved in corruption with public funds and said Motha was running administration in the TTAADC since 2021 but failed to deliver promised development to the people.
He also said ample funds were provided to the tribal council for development but the ADC administration failed to provide development with these funds, neither could provide utilisation certificates to requisite authorities. FD JK