Newly-appointed Tripura minister and senior Tipra Motha Party (TMP) leader Animesh Debbarma said on Thursday that his party would continue its demand for ‘Greater Tipraland’ (a separate state for the tribals) under Articles 2 and 3 of the Constitution.
Animesh Debbarma and another TMP legislator, Brishaketu Debbarma, were on Thursday inducted into the BJP-led coalition government headed by Chief Minister Manik Saha.
After joining the BJP-led government, Animesh Debbarma said the TMP cannot forget its core issues for the all-round development of the tribals, who constitute one-third of Tripura’s four million population.
“Earlier, we were in the opposition. Now with the inclusion into the Cabinet, we have the authority and power to take forward our issues. We will continue to demand for ‘Greater Tipraland’ unless it is achieved,” he told the media.
In its maiden electoral battle in the Assembly polls held in February last year, the TMP had fielded 42 candidates, including 20 on the tribal reserved seats. The tribal party, which has been in charge of the politically important Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) since April 2021, won 13 seats in the 60-member Tripura Assembly with a vote share of 19.69 per cent.
Animesh Debbarma, a computer science engineer who worked with a Central PSU before joining politics 15 years ago, said that constitutional solutions are needed to the political, economic, and cultural issues facing the tribals in the state.
Before taking the oath on Thursday, Animesh Debbarma resigned from the post of opposition leader in the state Assembly.
“As the opposition leader, I fulfilled one kind of responsibility, while a Cabinet member has a different responsibility. I will try to perform the duties assigned to me as a minister with all sincerity,” he said.
TMP supremo and former royal scion Pradyot Bikram Manikya Deb Barman, who along with other party leaders was present at the swearing-in ceremony at the Raj Bhavan, said that he has given clear instructions to his party MLAs who joined the BJP not to repeat the mistake committed by the IPFT after it joined the BJP-led government.
“The IPFT joined the Cabinet and then went silent on its demands,” Deb Barman told the media.
The Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPTF), also a tribal-based party, is an ally of the BJP, and its lone MLA Sukla Charan Noatia is now a Cabinet minister.
In the first BJP-led alliance ministry in Tripura led by former Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb, there were two ministers from the IPFT, which since 2009 has been demanding to upgrade the TTAADC as a state for the tribals.
The ruling BJP, CPI-M, and the Congress have been opposing the demands of both the IPFT and TMP.
Flight operation between Agartala-Delhi to be increased; resumption of flight operation between Agartala-Aizawl, Agartala-Shillong, says MP Biplab Kumar Deb
The former Chief Minister and presently the MP for West Tripura constituency Biplab Kumar Deb on Friday chaired the airport advisory committee meeting here at Agartala MBB Airport and said that there is a plan to increase direct flight operation from Delhi to Agartala.
Tripura: Bill proposes hike in salaries of CM, Ministers and MLAs upto 50pc
An Amendment Bill has been moved in the Tripura Assembly on Friday proposing the increase of salaries, allowances of Ministers, MLAs and former legislators by 45 to 50 per cent.
Winter assembly session begins in Tripura; Governor Indrasena Reddy Nallu lauds Govt’s effort in maintaining law and order in Tripura
In his speech in the sixth session of the 13th Tripura Legislative Assembly, the Governor said, “The state of Tripura is witnessing development in almost every sector including infrastructure, health care, education, agriculture and others under the guidance of the Centre and state leadership.”
TSF stages protest, demands to raise Roman script for Kokborok language in Assembly
The Twipra Student Federation (TSF), a wing of the North East Students Organisation (NESO), on Friday staged a protest near Circuit House in Agartala, demanding the issue of adopting the Roman script for the Kokborok language be raised in the winter session of the Tripura Legislative Assembly, which started today.
Govt to appoint over 400 Assistant Professors in colleges: CM
In a move to provide quality education to students studying in various colleges and to solve the crisis of Professors across the state, the Tripura government has taken a series of steps, including the appointment of 200 Assistant Professors,
Drug peddling: ED raids cop's residence, premises of suspected smugglers in Tripura
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) sleuths on Friday conducted raids in Tripura and searched the residence of a police official and premises of several people allegedly involved in drug peddling and money laundering cases, sources said.
Crucial winter session of Tripura Assembly to begin from tomorrow
The crucial winter session of the Tripura assembly would begin on Friday and a bill would be moved in the House amending the existing law to provide retirement benefits to all MLAs who have served even for just a day, officials said on Thursday.
Ex-CM accuses BJP of divisive politics to mask hide core issues
Former Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar on Saturday criticized the ruling BJP, accusing it of fostering divisions among Hindus, Muslims, Tribals, and Non-Tribals to divert attention from pressing issues such as rising prices, unemployment, and economic hardships.