THE state is in total chaos, the BJP-IPFT government has brought the state to such a deplorable condition in just 46 months of utter misrule, commented Jitendra Chaudhury, state secretary of CPI(M). Attending a press conference at Agartala on January 27, he told that the chaos resulting from the day-to-day activities of the state government is having a disastrous effect on the public life.

The government has been trying hard to hide its failure by spending huge amounts on glittering advertisements, but in vain. Countless reports of rampant corruption in various government departments are being disclosed in newspapers, news channels and social media almost on a daily basis. He lashed out at the government saying that they are now trying to use the prime minister to improve their public image.

Jitendra Chaudhury hit out at the state government saying that, continuous reports of large scale corruption in government agencies and departments like Tripura State Electricity Corporation Ltd (TSECL), rural development, education, health, home etc are published in news media almost on a daily basis. Regarding TSECL, he told that a thoroughly corrupt official has been posted as the MD, who has been running the organisation at his whims. Besides reports about large-scale corruption and arbitrariness, services of TSECL have touched a new nadir. But the government seems to have turned a blind eye to all these developments. The useless MD is allowed to run the organisation at his whims without any control.

Regarding the functioning of rural development department, he told that there is wide variation between the information about social audit in the gram panchayats. While the MGNREGA portal of the government of India says that not even one-fourth of the gram panchayats have completed social audit, the state government says something that contradicts the government of India. Besides that, reports about irregularity in spending MGNREGA funds of about Rs 183 crore, have been published in local newspapers and media. But the government did nothing to clarify the news reports. Also there are reports of large scale corruption in the housing scheme PMAY. The beneficiaries of PMAY are forced to pay village level leaders of the ruling party Rs 5000-40,000 as bribe, without which they would not receive the second installment. The government seems to have no concern for such public outcry.

Regarding the recruitment for Tripura State Rifles (TSR) battalions, even the ruling party leaders are openly saying that a number of BJP leaders took huge amount of money as bribe from the job-seekers for ensuring selection. Regarding procurement of paddy at MSP, actual farmers are not being allowed to sell their harvest to the FCI. Middlemen, sheltered by ruling BJP, are exploiting the actual farmers at their will. Poor hawkers, who somehow earn their livelihoods by hawking on the roadside footpath, are forcefully evicted without any alternative arrangements, at various places including Agartala, Dharmanagar etc.

Law and order situation of the state has turned worse. On one side, there are continuous attacks on the opposition party offices, leaders, their properties and livelihoods, and on the other side number of murders, suicide, rape, kidnapping etc are rising every day. In addition to all these, the government frequently contradicts itself on the data of development. The education minister had declared one year back that 87 per cent of the BJP’s 2018 pre-election vision document promises have been achieved. Recently the information minister said that 80 per cent promises have been fulfilled. The chief minister, on the other hand, proudly declares that his government has achieved double the vision document promises. But people of the state say, the achievement of the present government is nothing but a big zero.

FUNCTIONING OF TTAADC

Jitendra Chaudhury told in his interaction with the media that presently the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) is being run by a new party, Tipra Motha. But in the last nine-ten months of governance, the party has shown complete insensitivity to the people residing in ADC areas, who are mostly tribal.

There are reports about rampant corruption and nepotism in recruitment. While the state government is wasting public money in the name of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsava, the ADC administration is spending huge amount of government fund for orchestra parties in the name of ‘indigeneity’. This Tipra Motha has been trying to mislead tribal youth with the fantasy of ‘Greater Tipraland’.

Election to village committees under ADC are not being held, due to which various problems are coming up. There is even a threat of losing few crores from the 15th finance commission if these elections are not held. State government shows no inclination for holding the elections. Tipra Motha leaders can go to Delhi with their demand of Greater Tipraland, but do not utter a single word demanding village committee elections. Its supremo has recently mentioned about constitutional solution to their demands, but did not bother to clarify what could be such solution. Instead of misleading tribal youth, this party should clarify its position first.

ON COVID MISMANAGEMENT

Jitendra Chaudhury also mentioned about mismanagement of the covid pandemic both at the state and the national level. He told that hundreds of crores of public fund is being spent on huge advertisements, but the grim reality is, still there is more than 25 per cent of adult population in the country, who are yet to receive full vaccination. A team of CPI(M) legislators met the chief minister of the state on January 15 and suggested a well thought five-point action plan to him. The CM gave a patient hearing and agreed to the suggestions, but did not take any action towards its implementation.

The condition of the state has become deplorable. On the one side the total number of infected persons in the state is about to touch one lakh mark, and on the other side the state does not have the machinery to detect and identify omicron variety. The state is deliberately reducing the number of tests to show less number of infections.

Jitendra Chaudhury conveyed solidarity to the farmers’ movement. He said that it is a historic victory that the government of India has been forced to repeal the farm laws. He declared that mass agitation would be intensified upto the block level with the demands that involve day-to-day problems of common people.

He also mentioned that the prime minister has mentioned a bunch of untrue claims while addressing a public meeting on January 4, during his last visit to the state. To all his baseless comments and claims, Manik Sarkar, the leader of the opposition, in a press conference, has given point-based appropriate factual reply. The video containing the press conference has been seen by more than 12 lakhs of people on facebook. A booklet containing the reply and published by the state committee has become very popular. These incidents show how alienated has the BJP become from the people in the state.