AGARTALA, Oct 12 - The high-powered committee headed by the Special Secretary of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (Internal Security) Reena Mitra visited the State to hear the views of the State Government, political parties and frontal organisations, on the welfare of the indigenous tribes of the State.
The panel held a meeting with officials concerned of the State Government to look into various aspects for the social, economic and linguistic development of the indigenous people of Tripura. Later, the committee members also met representatives of political parties, including the BJP and the CPI (M), to know their opinions on what could be the best possible way to ensure the welfare of the indigenous people.
BJP vice president Rampada Jamatia said a party delegation submitted a memorandum to the committee.
�We suggested to the panel to convert the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) into the Tripura State Autonomous Council as it covers all the eight districts of the State,� he said.
Besides, the party also suggested direct funding for the tribal council to expedite the socio-economic and linguistic development of the indigenous people, Jamatia said, adding that demands for land rights, setting up of two Eklavya Residential Model Schools in every block and professional training for tribal youths were also included in the memorandum.
Meanwhile, a delegation of the CPI(M), led by the party�s State secretary Bijan Dhar, handed over a separate memorandum the members of the high-powered committee formed by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs to look into the social, economic, cultural and linguistic issues of the tribal people of the State.
Addressing a press conference at the CPI(M) headquarters here, Dhar highlighted his party�s movement for socio-economic development of the tribal peoples since the pre-Independence days up to the formation of the Left Front Government. �We informed the committee that our party lost over 2,000 leaders and workers during the ceaseless ideological and political struggles against armed extremists and secessionist forces,� he said.
The CPI(M) has demanded immediate rehabilitation of all tribal families who were allotted pattas under the Forest Right Act, establishment of Eklavya Model Schools in all tribal-dominated blocks of the State and establishment of an ITI in every block. The CPI(M) team also called for empowerment of the autonomous district council.
A delegation of the Tripura Upajati Ganamukti Parishad, the tribal wing of the CPI(M), also held a meeting with the Central panel team and handed over a memorandum to it.