By Firstdespatch Desk Nov 18, 2023
Agartala, Nov 18 (FD) With the parliamentary elections in the country drawing near, the TIPRA Motha, the main opposition in Tripura showing activity and demanded immediate fulfillment of their ‘rightful demands’ including release of funds by the state government.
The Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAAC) submitted a memorandum to the Governor Indrasena Reddy Nallu on Friday and demanded his interference for immediate release of funds by the state government and handing over of the nine departments to the council authorities.
All the Executive members of the tribal council headed by its Chief Executive Member TTAADC, Purna Chandra Jamatia, submitted a memorandum and raised plethora of issues pending with the state government including immediate release of funds, immediate initiative to organize village council elections and handing over of the nine departments to the TTAADC.
The copy of the memorandum, available to Assam Tribune stated that development works in the tribal council areas were severely affected as the state government was not releasing the funds to the council authorities.
The TTAADC constitutes two third of the state territory and home to the tribals, who constitute one third of the state’s estimated 40 lakh population.
When contacted, Kamal Koloi, an executive member of the council said the governor gave them a patient hearing and said that he was trying to understand the issues related to the tribal council as he joined as governor recently and assured them to look into the matter.
“We have also invited Governor to visit the TTAADC council headquarters and he replied that he would take a tour to different places of the council areas to make an on the study of the situation there”, Koloi told Assam Tribune.
Koloi, a prominent tribal leader alleged that a gazette notification was made March 28, 2001 for handing over nine departments to TTAADC including the forest department, but the state government had not done anything so far.
He further alleged that the terms of the village councils expired on March 2021 and despite several requests to the state government did not take any initiative to hold the elections.
The TIPRA Motha, the main opposition of the state is at the helm of affairs of the tribal council, when the state is run by BJP.
Koloi alleged that the tribal council approved a budget proposal of over Rs 1,100 crore for the current financial year, but the state government only approved Rs 360 crore, which is much lesser than the actual budget.
“The administrative costs and salaries and pension of the employees require Rs 480 crore and sanction of only Rs 360 crore, is very insufficient”, Koloi said. FD JK