Assembly Watch: Opening day of Tripura Assembly’s winter session

Governor Indrasena Reddy Nallu said, “The state government has been working relentlessly to ensure that every citizen, regardless of their background of socio-economic status, has access to basic amenities, education, healthcare and economic opportunities. Antyodaya, or the upliftment of the last person, is a guiding principle in Tripura’s development trajectory, with a focus on empowering the most vulnerable sections of society, including women, children, and marginalised communities.” He also said the state is moving towards a “more inclusive and equitable society”.

Success stories

The Governor said a “landmark step” was taken towards peace and development in Tripura in March last year when a tripartite agreement was signed between the Government of India, the state government, and the TIPRA Motha party, aimed at addressing issues faced by tribals in the state.

Peace and development

He also cited a Memorandum of Settlement signed with the National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) and the All Tripura Tiger Force (ATTF), that led to the disbandment of these groups and facilitated the surrender of over 600 ultras.

Agriculture

On the agriculture front, the Governor said Tripura has adopted the ‘Mukhyamantri Integrated Crop Management Programme’ covering 92,588 hectares of cultivable land with the Aman crop of paddy while organic farming was carried out in 20,161 hectares.

He also said 1,878 hectares of land was brought under palm oil cultivation in Tripura, with support from the National Mission for Edible Oils.

Animal husbandry

On the veterinary front, the Governor said Tripura is now focusing on upgrading local low-yielding dairy animals through artificial insemination.

Education

The Governor also cited the state government’s achievements in literacy and education and said while new private universities like Aryavart International University, Techno India University, and Dhamma Dipa International Buddhist University have started operations in Tripura, the government is also working on enhancing youth employability with internship opportunities in top companies through the Prime Minister’s Internship Scheme launched in December last year. He also said the government has increased post-graduate seats in the Obstetrics and Gynaecology department at the Agartala Government Medical College (AGMC) and Govind Ballabh Pant Hospital.

Connectivity

On the connectivity front, Tripura has added a 132 Km stretch of road, and Rs 2,800 crore was sanctioned for key road projects in Tripura including the Agartala Eastern Bypass.

Good governance

Tripura won seven accolades in the National Panchayat Awards last year.

Power

In the power sector, Tripura has taken initiatives to set up 120 MW combined cycle gas-based power station in Rukhia, which is currently a 63 MW power station and has identified four locations for Pump Storage Power (PSP) Projects in association with NHPC Limited.

Entrepreneurship

On the entrepreneurship front, the state government has notified the Tripura Start-Up Policy under which the unemployed youths of the state can avail of Rs 2 lakh in seed funding, among other benefits.

Tourism

On the tourism front, the Governor cited a host of projects launched to boost tourist attractiveness and said novel projects like house-boats at Lake Dumbur were started with funding support from the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

Law and Order

The Governor also lauded the state government’s achievements in maintaining the law and order situation and said the overall crime rate in the state is on the decline. He added that 14,250 Kg of cannabis, 75,318 bottles of cough syrup, 5,83,465 yaba tablets, and 7,520 grams of heroin were seized last year as part of the ‘Nasha Mukt Tripura Abhiyan’.

What did the Opposition MLAs say?

Opposition MLAs trained guns at the BJP-Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura-TIPRA Motha government over its alleged failure to fulfill its promises in different sectors including education and public healthcare. They demanded a ‘white paper’ from the government on the expenditure for relief after the devastating floods last year that cost 38 lives.

CPI(M) MLA Nayan Sarkar blamed the government for nearly stalling recruitment and said 50,000 posts are lying vacant in different departments of the government. He alleged that the state government is hiring people on contract while nearly 5,000 government employees are retiring annually.

“In the last six years, 31,099 employees have retired, and almost 50,000 posts are now vacant. These statistics are telltale signs of poor recruitment figures despite all the claims of a double engine government,” Sarkar said.

Former minister and Congress MLA Sudip Roy Barman echoed a similar tune and urged for a time-bound recruitment process, upgradation of the Tripura Public Service Commission (TPSC) and said the job sector in the state is in crisis, stating that engineers are opting for Group-D and Group-C jobs in the state.

How did the treasury benches respond?

Members of the treasury benches claimed that a proper recruitment policy was introduced after the BJP came to power. However, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ratan Lal Nath admitted that the state public service commission is facing a shortage of staff and added that the government is working on it.

Talking about flood relief, Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha said his government is already rolling out all requisite compensation to affected families and added that the state witnessed unprecedented floods last year.

“Of the 12 rivers in the state, 11 had flowed over the danger level… South Tripura, Gomati and Sepahijala districts were worst affected. 17 lakh people were affected, four lakh had to be shifted to relief camps, and 889 camps were opened at the time, giving shelter to over two lakh people…” he said.

An inter-ministerial central team visited the state in August last year, reviewed the situation in South Tripura, Gomati, and Sepahijala districts, and proposed that the state be provided with a significant compensation package, the chief minister informed.