By Firstdespatch Desk Aug 30, 2026
Agartala, Aug 30 (FD) Tipra Motha MLA Ranjit Debbarma has alleged that there is a significant gap between the promises made by the BJP before elections in Tripura and the initiatives undertaken by the government after coming to power, particularly in the areas of higher education and development in tribal regions.
Citing a series of questions and replies placed before the Tripura Legislative Assembly, Debbarma argued that the BJP-led government has failed to demonstrate concrete plans for expanding higher and technical educational infrastructure in tribal and rural areas.
The MLA specifically referred to government replies concerning proposals for educational institutions in areas represented by him. According to the responses, the Higher Education Department currently has no proposal to establish a General Degree College or a technical education institution in the Ramchandraghat Assembly constituency.
Similarly, in response to a question regarding the establishment of an Engineering College and an English-medium college at Khumulung, the headquarters of the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC), the government reportedly stated that the Higher Education Department currently has no such proposal.
Debbarma said the responses raise serious questions about the BJP's pre-election promises regarding the expansion of colleges and educational opportunities across the state.
In a statement shared on social media, the Tipra Motha MLA said that before elections, the BJP had promised to establish colleges across Assembly constituencies and block areas. He questioned why, even after eight years of the BJP government, there was no evidence of colleges having been established in every Assembly constituency of the state.
According to Debbarma, the issue is not confined to the absence of a college in any particular constituency but concerns whether the government's broader commitment towards expanding access to higher education has been implemented as promised.
He further alleged that the government had failed to provide a clear roadmap when legislators sought information in the Assembly about the establishment of new colleges and technical institutions in underserved areas.
The MLA's criticism comes amid continuing demands for improved access to higher and technical education in tribal and remote regions of Tripura. Students from several interior areas often have to travel considerable distances to pursue specialised and higher education, making the establishment of institutions closer to their communities an important public issue.
Debbarma maintained that the Assembly replies reflected what he described as a difference between political promises made before elections and the government's present position.
He argued that if establishing colleges in Assembly constituencies and block areas was a major electoral commitment, the government should provide a clear roadmap, timeline and details regarding the locations where such institutions are proposed to be established.
However, the replies placed before the Assembly reflect the present position of the concerned department and do not necessarily rule out the possibility of such institutions being established in the future.
The issue is nevertheless likely to remain politically significant, particularly in tribal areas, where education, employment and infrastructure continue to be major public and electoral concerns.
Debbarma's intervention has sought to turn the government's Assembly responses into a broader political question over the implementation of the BJP's electoral commitments regarding higher education and development.
The MLA's remarks represent his political assessment and allegations regarding the government's performance. The state government may present its own explanation regarding its education policy, priorities and future plans. FD JK