Tripura: Congress releases TTAADC manifesto; promises Roman script for Kokborok
Agartala: The Tripura Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) on Friday released its manifesto for the upcoming elections to the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC), outlining proposals on governance, tribal rights, and socio-economic development.
The document was unveiled at Congress Bhavan in Agartala in the presence of AICC in-charge Saptagiri Sankar Ulaka and TPCC president Asish Kumar Saha.
The Congress leadership referred to its past contributions to tribal development, including the establishment of early tribal development initiatives and the creation of the autonomous district council through legislative measures in the 1980s.
The party also referred to previous accords that expanded political representation for indigenous communities.
The manifesto proposes measures to increase the autonomy and authority of the ADC, including enhancing legislative and administrative powers, ensuring direct transfer of central funds, and enabling independent revenue generation through taxation.
It also calls for expediting constitutional reforms, including the passage of the long-pending 125th Constitutional Amendment Bill, to address gaps in protections under the Sixth Schedule.
On governance, the party has proposed social audits of development projects, an anti-corruption framework, and improvements to grievance redressal systems. It has also suggested compulsory asset disclosure for elected representatives to promote transparency.
Proposals related to land and forest rights include establishing a task force to address illegal land encroachment, digitising land records, and promoting community-based forest management. The party has also suggested minimum support price mechanisms for jhum cultivators.
In education and healthcare, the manifesto includes recruitment of Kokborok language teachers, expansion of scholarships and skill development programmes, and establishment of training centres.
In healthcare, it proposes operationalising all health and wellness centres, upgrading hospitals to at least 50-bed capacity, deploying mobile medical units, and ensuring adequate staffing and medicine supply. Plans also include setting up de-addiction centres across ADC areas.
The manifesto outlines infrastructure proposals such as improved road connectivity, access to safe drinking water and sanitation, development of sports facilities, and planned “smart towns” within the ADC region.
Economic proposals include employment generation through recruitment drives, promotion of small and cottage industries, strengthening market linkages for local produce and handicrafts, and expanding irrigation facilities to support agriculture.
The party has also proposed measures to preserve tribal identity, including promotion of the Kokborok language with Roman script, and safeguarding traditional festivals, attire, and art forms.
The Congress stated that the manifesto aims to provide an ADC with increased administrative capacity while protecting tribal rights and supporting development.
The ruling BJP had not issued an immediate response to the Congress manifesto at the time of filing this report.