Agartala, July 26 (IANS) The BJP government in Tripura has undertaken several ambitious projects and schemes for the all-round development of the tribals, who constitute one third of the state’s four million population, Chief Minister Manik Saha said on Saturday.
Felicitating the meritorious students, the Chief Minister refuted the accusation of a financial crunch in the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) and informed that the state government has undertaken an Rs 1,400 crore World Bank aided project dedicated exclusively to the development of tribal areas.
With the help of Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, the state government got the Rs 1,400 crore project from the World Bank in a very short period, he said.
Saha urged the all concerned not to raise “unnecessary” concerns regarding fund shortages in the TTAADC, which has jurisdiction over two-thirds of Tripura’s 10,491 sq km area, and is home to over 12,16,000 people, of which around 84 per cent are tribals.
“Some people are unnecessarily raising the fund crisis (in TTAADC areas) both in the Assembly and outside. I have clarified this before,” Saha said, indirectly countering repeated claims from Tipra Motha Party (TMP), an ally of the ruling BJP.
The TMP has been governing the TTAADC since April 2021.
The Chief Minister said that in India there are 700 tribal communities and in Tripura there are 20 tribal communities.
“The state government has taken many schemes and projects for the all round development and welfare of the tribals. Every year the state government is increasing the financial assistance to Tripura,” he said.
“With all kinds of help and all kinds of support from the Central government under the leadership of our Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the state government has been working sincerely for the welfare of people belonging to Scheduled Tribes,” Saha said.
In addition to Central-sponsored programmes, the Chief Minister pointed to various state-led initiatives aiming to improve education, healthcare, road connectivity, and drinking water supply in tribal inhabited areas.
He also reaffirmed the government’s focus on preserving indigenous culture and identity, calling it a top priority alongside infrastructural development.
The Central government so far has given Padma Shri awards to seven tribal personalities for their tremendous contribution in various sectors and a tribal leader from Tripura (Jishnu Dev Varma) was appointed as Governor of Telangana. Tribal Welfare Minister Bikas Debbarma and other leaders addressed the function.
–IANS
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