AGARTALA, Feb 27 � The ruling Left Front emerged victorious in the village committee elections in Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council by winning 473 of the 527 village committees.
The Congress and its ally the Indigenous Nationalist Party of Tripura (INPT), a tribal party, bagged 56 committees which is better than the last village committee elections held in 2005 when they had secured 23 village committees.
The other committees were won by independents.
The tribal council which constitute two-third of the State territory is the home to the tribals who form one-third of the State�s population.
It came into being in 1985 under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution to provide more autonomy to the backward tribals and facilitate economic development in the area.
CPI(M) State secretary Bijan Dhar said it was a mandate of people for peace, development and good governance.
Spokesperson of opposition Congress, Tapas Dey said, Congress-INPT alliance fared better than the previous election which only showed that the base of the Left were eroding in the hills.
Probe demanded: National Conference of Tripura and Trinamool Congress today demanded a CBI probe into the recent incidents of rape and murder allegedly by security personnel at Khowai sub-division of West Tripura district.
�We demand CBI inquiry into murder and rape of Nilima Debbarma at Shikaribari on February 18 and rape of 16-year-old Minakshi Debbarma at Tulashikhar on February 23. Tripura State Rifles jawans were involved in both the cases,� NCT president Animesh Debbarma told reporters here.
�We have no faith on investigation by local police. We want the real truth to come out...The ruling CPI-M is trying to manipulate the probe,� he said.
TC leader Arun Bhowmick said, �We will move the High Court seeking a CBI inquiry into the incidents.�
The body of 27-year-old Nilima was recovered with a rope tied round her neck near TSR 6th battalion camp on February 19. Three TSR jawans were arrested in this connection.
A group of villagers ransacked a TSR camp at Nandakumarpara on February 23 alleging that a tribal girl was raped by a TSR jawan. A jawan was arrested in this connection. � PTI
