Tripura tribal council stops salaries of Group A, B officers after High Court order

The Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) has stopped the release of salaries for its Group A and B officers following an order of the Tripura High Court in a case concerning the non-payment of retirement benefits to a former council employee.

According to an official communique made public on Wednesday, the salaries of all Group A and B officers under the autonomous council will not be released until further orders.

The High Court, in an order passed on September 9, had restrained the TTAADC Chief Executive Officer from receiving his salary and directed that salaries of all TTAADC employees and officers, except those belonging to Group C and Group D, be stopped until the matter was resolved.

The order followed a writ petition filed by a TTAADC employee who claimed that retirement benefits amounting to Rs 16.03 lakh had not been paid to him after his superannuation on January 31, 2025.

The council had argued that the state Finance Secretary needed to be impleaded in the case and that it could not release the amount unless funds were provided through the Finance Secretary.

However, the state counsel told the High Court that the TTAADC, being an autonomous body, has its own funds and does not require permission from the Finance Secretary to release the money.

The court subsequently directed the TTAADC Chief Executive Officer, the Finance Secretary and the district treasury officers to examine the matter and take necessary steps, if required.

Following the court order, TTAADC Chief Executive Member Chaitanya Murti issued an order on September 17 stating that salaries of all Group A and B officers under the council would remain withheld until further orders.

The matter is scheduled to come up for its next hearing on October 5.

The development comes ahead of the September 28 elections to 587 village committees under the TTAADC.

The Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma-led Tipra Motha Party currently governs the tribal council after winning 20 of the 28 seats in the April elections.

CPI(M) MLA and Leader of the Opposition in the Tripura Assembly, however, criticised the development, alleging that the TMP-led council had failed to pay officials because of a fund crunch.

He described the situation as “most unfortunate and disgraceful” and said it reflected, in his view, the party's inability to run the autonomous tribal council.