TIPRA slams Tripura government for allocating inadequate funds to tribal council

Tipraha Indigenous Peoples Regional Alliance, the main Opposition party in Tripura, on July 9 criticised the BJP-led State government for not allotting necessary funds to the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council.

Tipraha Indigenous Peoples Regional Alliance (TIPRA), the main Opposition party in Tripura, on July 9 criticised the BJP-led State government for not allotting necessary funds to the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC).

Party chairperson Pradyot Kishore Manikya and Leader of the Opposition in the State Assembly Animesh Debbarma said the meagre fund allocation had been hampering development and welfare related activities in the council areas. They slammed the recently tabled State Budget for financial year 2023-24, which had 2.7% allocation for the TTAADC. Mr. Kishore said “step-motherly treatment of the State government” was the reason for their demand for Greater Tipraland to protect indigenous people.

TIPRA’s chief pointed out that 70% of land comes under the TTAADC, where 35% of the State’s population lives.

Mr. Debbarma criticised the Budget for inadequate provisions for healthcare, education and infrastructure development in the State as a whole. He specifically said the TTAADC had been continuously deprived of its legitimate funds for a long time.

Mr. Debbarma wondered how the council could function with only 2.7% allocation (₹672 crore) in a Budget of ₹27,654 crore. He said a large portion of the budgetary allocation for the TTAADC would be gone to pay salaries, wages and pensions, and nothing could be done with the rest of the fund.

TIPRA is currently governing the tribal council after its massive win the 2021 Assembly elections. The TTAADC was founded under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution of India for the development of the State’s minority tribal population.