Tripura CM calls for collective efforts for inclusive development of tribal, non-tribal communities

Agartala: Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Tuesday called for collective efforts involving all communities, including tribals, to ensure the overall development of the state and the welfare of people across all sections of society, irrespective of caste, creed or community.

Addressing the swearing-in ceremony of the newly elected Executive Members (EMs) of the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) at the council headquarters in Khumulwng in West Tripura, the Chief Minister said that Tripura had witnessed all-round development in both tribal and non-tribal areas since the BJP came to power in 2018.

He said the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, under which the TTAADC was constituted in 1982, provides ample scope for improving the lives of tribal communities while preserving their culture, traditions and identity.

“Piped water supply coverage has increased from 3 per cent in 2018 to 86 per cent at present. Significant development has also taken place in the health and education sectors. Recently, the state government constituted a committee to recommend measures for improving the academic situation in Tripura,” CM Saha said.

Addressing the gathering, Tipra Motha Party (TMP) supremo Pradyot Bikram Manikya Debbarma also emphasised the need for inclusive governance and development, irrespective of caste, creed or community.

“I have already announced that I am no longer in politics, but I will continue working for the overall development of the tribal people. We must work together for the development and welfare of future generations, both tribal and non-tribal,” said Debbarma, a former royal scion of the erstwhile Manikya dynasty.

The Executive Members (EMs) who took the oath of office and secrecy on Tuesday were Kamal Kalai, Rajeshwar Debbarma, Hollywood Chakma, Kenaram Reang, Debojit Tripura and David Murasing, all from the Tipra Motha Party (TMP), along with Kaonjaong Mog from the BJP.

Earlier on May 6, Chief Executive Member (CEM) of the TTAADC, Runeil Debbarma, and Executive Member Chandra Kumar Jamatia took the oath of office and secrecy.

The TMP, a tribal-based party, is a junior partner in the ruling BJP-led coalition government in the state.

In the TTAADC elections held on April 12, the TMP secured a sweeping victory by winning 24 out of 28 seats.

The BJP managed to win only four seats, while the CPI(M) and Congress failed to open their accounts.

The BJP and its two tribal-based allies -- TMP and the Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT) -- had contested the polls separately after failing to reach an electoral understanding.

Since 2021, the TMP has governed the strategically significant council, which is widely regarded as the second-most important constitutional and political institution in Tripura after the state Assembly.

The 30-member TTAADC consists of 28 elected representatives and two members nominated by the state government, and it administers nearly 70 per cent of Tripura’s 10,491 sq km geographical area.

Political observers note that with two consecutive victories in the TTAADC, the TMP has further consolidated its position in Tripura’s political landscape. Tribal communities constitute nearly one-third of Tripura’s 4.2 million population and continue to play a decisive role in the state’s politics.

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