Angry Tribal College Students Assault Tribal Welfare Department Official Over Long Pending Stipends,

By Our Correspondent

Agartala, January 9, 2026

Anger over the non-payment of stipends for a prolonged period erupted into violence on Friday when agitated tribal college students stormed the headquarters of the Tribal Welfare Department at Agartala Gurkhabasti and allegedly assaulted an official, identified as Swasat Sen.

According to sources, tribal students, frustrated after repeatedly failing to receive their stipend and scholarship dues, entered the department office in large numbers. The situation quickly turned volatile as students confronted officials, accusing them of deliberately delaying payments despite the availability of funds. In the ensuing chaos, Swasat Sen, an officer of the Tribal Welfare Department, was allegedly beaten by the protesters.

The students alleged that stipends for the academic session 2024–25 have not yet been disbursed, even though college principals had forwarded applications with all necessary documents well in advance. They claimed that instead of releasing the funds, officials have been offering excuses for months, while students seeking clarification were often treated with disrespect.

Protesters further accused a section of officials of operating a corrupt nexus, alleging that stipend payments of students from certain colleges were cleared, leaving the majority of eligible tribal students deprived. These allegations intensified the outrage among the students, leading to the violent confrontation inside the office.

Following the assault, the agitating students locked the office and staged a sit-in protest, bringing departmental work to a complete halt. The tense situation prevailed throughout the day, prompting concern among officials and security personnel.

The students also alleged that corruption in the Tribal Welfare Department has been a recurring issue, citing earlier complaints related to the allotment of contracts under hostel infrastructure and coaching schemes, where favoured and allegedly unqualified agencies were given work through unfair means allegedly through Saswats Sen.

Meanwhile, the sources in the TW department claimed that previous investigations into such irregularities were stalled after senior administrative reshuffles.

During the today’s protest, students directly contacted Tribal Welfare Minister Bikash Debbarma from inside the department office and conveyed their grievances, demanding immediate release of all pending stipends and a comprehensive investigation into alleged corruption and administrative irregularities.

The protesting students warned that if their long-pending dues are not cleared and accountability is not fixed, they will intensify their agitation in the coming days.

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