DHALAI (TRIPURA): Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday accused the Left parties of keeping Tripura in a state of backwardness during their 35-year rule, asserting that real progress began only after the BJP came to power in 2018.
Addressing a public gathering after visiting a village where displaced Bru tribals have been rehabilitated, Shah said that the communist government failed to deliver on development indicators, leaving the state behind in all aspects.
He stated that while the communists claimed to work for the welfare of the poor, poverty persisted throughout their tenure.
The Congress, too, ruled Tripura briefly, but without significant progress.
It was only after the BJP’s victory in 2018 that the state started moving forward on the path of growth, he remarked.
Reflecting on his visit to Tripura in 2017 as BJP president, Shah recalled how the party had a negligible presence in the state, with only 11 people signing up as members during his five-day stay.
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He credited the BJP’s eventual success to years of dedicated effort, which culminated in the party ousting the Left government.
Shah highlighted the improvements made under BJP rule, including a dramatic rise in access to piped drinking water from 2.5% to 85%, free food grain distribution ensuring 5 kg of rice per individual, and universal healthcare offering up to Rs. 5 lakh in free treatment per person.
He also noted the significant reduction in school dropout rates to less than 3%, with enrolment figures now at 99%.
Investments have flowed into the state, enabling widespread access to electricity and LPG connections.
The Union Home Minister emphasised the peace and stability achieved in Tripura under BJP rule, attributing it to successful peace accords with insurgent groups.
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He expressed confidence that the state, blessed by Maa Tripurasundari, is on its way to becoming one of the most developed in the country.
Speaking about the rehabilitation of Bru tribals, Shah lauded the BJP governments at the Centre and in Tripura for resettling 40,000 displaced people who had lived in sub-human conditions for decades.
This initiative followed the signing of a historic quadripartite agreement on January 16, 2020, involving the governments of India, Tripura, Mizoram, and Bru representatives.
He explained that the Bru community now enjoys full citizenship rights, including Aadhaar cards, voter registration, and ration cards.
Each rehabilitated family received Rs. 1.5 lakh for building homes, Rs. 4 lakh as fixed deposits, and Rs. 5,000 per month for two years to support their transition.
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The Bru migrants, displaced from Mizoram due to ethnic violence in the late 1990s and 2009, were resettled across 12 locations in four Tripura districts: North Tripura, Dhalai, Gomati, and South Tripura.
Of the total 754 acres allocated for their rehabilitation, nine locations are on forest land and three on government land.
Shah concluded by emphasising the BJP’s commitment to improving the lives of marginalised communities while ensuring overall development and progress in Tripura.
