Correspondent
AGARTALA, March 26: Tripura Forest Minister Mever Kumar Jamatia, who is also the general secretary of the Indigenous Peoples’ Front of Tripura (IPFT), an ally of the BJP-led government, has landed in a controversy because of his involvement in a land grab attempt in Khowai district.
The Left Front has already raised the issue in the Assembly, demanding his immediate resignation.
The Assembly witnessed uproarious scenes over a notice moved by CPI (M) MLAs Bhanu Lal Saha and Sudhan Das during the reference period with the Opposition members demanding a statement from Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb yesterday.
Soon after reading out the notice based on a media report over the alleged involvement of Jamatia in the land allotment scam, Revenue Minister NC Debbarma, who is the IPFT supremo, made a hard-hitting statement. “No land was allotted to the Minister violating the existing norms. The department gives allotment to any individual or organisation only after due verification. There is no report of giving land to the Minister or any individual flouting the Land Reforms Act,” he said.
However, the Opposition bench was not satisfied with the statement of the Revenue Minister.
However, Law Minister Ratan Lal Nath said the Minister concerned has given the statement on the allegation and that was enough.
Sources said Khowai district magistrate Smitha Mol has sought clearance from the government to give an allotment of land in favour of the Forest Minister. As per the Land Revenue and Reforms Act, only landless and BPL families are eligible to get the allotment of land.
