Agartala, Nov 25 (UNI) Normal life and traffic movement outside the urban areas including

train services have been affected today due to 12 –hrs Tripura bandh called by Tripura

Peoples’ Front (TPF), a tribal based regional party backed by royal scion Pradyot Kishore

Debbarman seeking justice for Biswajit Debbarma – a fireman who was killed in mob attack

during anti-Bru settlement movement in North Tripura on November 21 last.

The state government in a notification last night asked all of its employees to remain

present in duty and heads of offices were directed to send attendance statements of

respective offices to the administrative reform department by 12 noon. The order has

also assured that adequate security arrangements have been made.

However, report said TPF supporters have blockaded national highways and the major

roads in several locations of South Tripura, Gomati, Khowai and North Tripura districts

since morning. As a result, most of the government offices, educational institutions and

markets could not function.

The education minister has also cancelled his scheduled visit to Gandacherra of Dhalai

district today due to the TPF strike.

Although strike of Joint Movement Committee (JMC) comprising of Bengali and Mizos

in Kanchanpur of North Tripura was lifted with the assurance of the state government

yesterday, follow up tension continues to haunt across the state, as tribal based parties

persuaded the death of Biswajit in communal line keeping eyes on upcoming election to

Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (ADC).

Meanwhile, the statement of the state government last night after meeting with JMC has

evoked a fresh controversy over the role of administration in Bru settlement issue, which

led to eight days general strike in Kanchanpur of North Tripura and killing of two innocent

persons. While district magistrate (North) Nagesh Kumar B, last month invited tender for

housing of 5000 Bru families in Kanchanpur, deputy chief minister Jishnu Dev Varma

however, told media that the government has not yet decided the settlement plan.

The JMC leaders’ wondered in the meeting when deputy chief minister claimed, “The

state government has only proposed 20 location of nine sub-divisions including

Kanchanpur under six districts for resettlement of about 34000 Brus. Since the locations

are fallen in reserved forest area, state government has sought clearance from Ministry

of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, which is still pending. So, there is no

question of settling 5000 Bru families in Kanchanpur.”

They flagged in the meeting that the tender document of DM (North), housing construction

to be completed by March next for 4000 Bru families in Manu-Chhailengta, Gachirampara,

Anandabazar and Bhandarima and 500 housing in each at Kasko and Ranicherra, which

inflicted the situation. The order indicated that about 7,300 displaced Brus of 5000 families

would be rehabilitated across 25 hectares of land in six locations of Kanchanpur.

The opposition CPI(M) has smelled conspiracy of BJP-IPFT government over Bru

settlement issue and president of party’s tribal wing GMP, former Loksabha MP Jitendra

Chowdhury lashed out at the government and said that it indicated the lack of coordination

in the administration.

He observed, “The Bru rehabilitation plan was done purely on political consideration

analyzing the 2018 assembly elections result. The places were identified for rehabilitation

where BJP lost less than 1000 votes in last elections and BJP believed if Brus are settled

those constituencies all of them will vote them in next elections.”

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