OUR CORRESPONDENT
KOKRAJHAR: The tale of running Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) seems to be shocking as the poor funding pattern has pushed the 6th schedule tribal council to a doldrum. The council leaders, officials and the indigenous tribal people expressed their feeling of step motherly attitude towards the council which fails to bring sustainable development in tribal areas due to lack of fund.
In a get-together programme by the members of visiting BTC journalists held at Secretariat conference hall of TTAADC on Friday, the Executive Member of Agriculture Baburanjan Ryang said there had been no systematic funding pattern to TTAADC from the State government and the meagre amount they received is not based on population pattern. He said the population of TTAADC is 12,658,88 as per census of 2011 with consisting of 84.23 pc tribal people but they never receive sufficient fund as per population ratio to carry out developmental activities as a reason of which development is not visible in the council.
EM of ICA and Sports Suhel Debbarma who is also looking after Land and Revenue said there was lack of fund to streamline the works of the department and the work force is also not at all sufficient. There is no proper infrastructure in every circle and block office to run the department properly, he said adding that the officers are only in headquarters while there is lack of officer and staff in circle and block office.
Replying to a question, he said the government had distributed land certificates to landless people under Traditional Forest Dwellers Act but there is no specific demarcation of plot of land alloted to them in the official record as a result no beneficiary has concrete knowledge about their plot of land. He said there were lot of problems to settle the land and forest related issues.
Debbarma said most of the forest lands are being looked after by State government and lands are given under lease to many individuals. He also said the encroachments in forest land was also taking place.
Meanwhile, a higher officer of the council said the council had sent many bills passed in the council as of now but these bills are pending over the years in the State government to make law and act. An EM alleged that the Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman assured financial package of Rs. 1300 crore to TTAADC before State election. He said the council leaders met the officers of Finance department in New Delhi to enquire if the fund is released and came to know that the package was released in time but the State government diverted the fund to other head and thus the council did not receive the fund announced by Finance Minister. This is just one of the examples of suppressing the tribal people, he revealed.
Meanwhile, the journalist exposure tour sponsored by BTR government was led by CHD of I&PR department Ansuma Mahilary. As many as 25 journalists from BTR districts joined the exposure tour. The journalists team also visited some tribal villages, Neer Mahal, the water palace of last king Bir Bikram Manikya Debbarma and King Palace- Ujjayanta Palace (Now Museum) and other sites.
In every tribal village, they narrated the suppression and domination of tribal people. They said their land, culture, language, identity, tradition and economy are being invaded and exploited by influx from outside and son of the soil are ruled by them now.
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