‘Tipra Motha’s memorandum on plight of tribals and ADC in the state

By Our Correspondent

Agartala, May 26, 2023

The ADC run by the ‘Tipra Motha’ has expressed its muted displeasure over the role of the tribal welfare department of the state for failure to put forward and secure assent of the governor to altogether 10 bills passed by the council as well as 16 customary laws of as many tribal communities and clans over the past many years . In a mermorandum addressed to the governor through his office the ADC authority represented by altogether 9 senior ADC functionaries including the chief executive member, executive members , members of district council and MLAs said that the tribal people in the state are living like second class citizens due to continued deprivation of funds by the state government and the latter’s step-motherly treatment.

The memorandum pointed out that out of the Rs 619.25 crore fund allocated for ADC by the state government for the 2022-2023 financial year Rs 126.59 crore is yet to be released and this has resulted in delayed payment of salaries and meeting of other committed expenditures to the deep resentment among employees and workers.

For the current financial year (2023-2024) a sum of only Rs 4.24 crore has so far been released for the development work which is absolutely insufficient. Apart from this, the village council election , originally scheduled to come off in March 2021 , has not so far been held despite direction passed in this regard by the high court of Tripura. This has also stood in the way of development work at the grassroot village level within ADC areas .

The memorandum added “today when the august office of the President of India is being held by Smt Draupadi Murmuji who herself is a proud tribal and a living example of grit, courage and determination we firmly believe that our concerns shall be duly addressed by you and others in authority”. It appealed to the governor as a man with vast experience in public life to do justice to the indigenous people of the state by exercising his constitutional office and authority by directing the state government to sanction due funds to the ADC so that the development works for the poor tribals can go on without any impediment.