Rajeshwar Debbarma Urges CM to Reconsider PRTC Discontinuation, Calls for Comprehensive Tripura Domicile Policy

By Our Correspondent

Agartala, August 16, 2026

Member of the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC), Rajeshwar Debbarma, has submitted a memorandum to Tripura Chief Minister Prof. Dr. Manik Saha, urging the state government to reconsider the reported decision to discontinue the requirement of the Permanent Resident of Tripura Certificate (PRTC) for government employment.

In his memorandum, Debbarma argued that the PRTC has historically served as an important proof of domicile and has, for decades, helped protect the employment interests of indigenous people and permanent residents of Tripura.

He appealed to the Chief Minister to keep the decision to discontinue PRTC in abeyance until a new, legally sound policy is enacted to safeguard the interests of the people of the state.

According to the memorandum, the issue has assumed significance following a writ petition before the Tripura High Court filed by a non-domicile person. The state government has reportedly proposed replacing the PRTC requirement with five years of continuous study in Tripura as the sole eligibility criterion for state government employment, as an interim measure.

Debbarma, while stating that he respects the judicial process, described the proposed replacement criterion as legally weak and administratively inadequate. He argued that merely studying in Tripura for five years does not necessarily establish a permanent connection with the state.

The TTAADC member raised several concerns over the proposed system. He pointed out that a five-year study requirement could potentially be fulfilled by temporary migrants and, therefore, may not adequately establish the concept of domicile.

He also highlighted its possible impact on students from economically weaker and remote indigenous families. According to him, many students from such families are compelled to pursue higher education outside Tripura, and imposing a five-year continuous-study condition could adversely affect their eligibility for government employment despite their permanent connection with the state.

Debbarma further stressed that Tripura is a small state with limited public-sector employment opportunities and, therefore, requires a robust mechanism to ensure that employment opportunities are available to its own people.

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