37 TTAADC bills stuck with Tripura govt and governor, says TMP MLA; party mulls SC move

A senior Tipra Motha Party (TMP) legislator on October 5 alleged that 37 bills passed by the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) are still pending with the state government and the governor, some for nearly a decade.

TMP MLA Ranjit Debbarma said the pending bills include crucial provisions related to the customary laws of different tribes and the transfer of land rights to the tribal council. “As many as 37 bills passed by the TTAADC are pending with the state government since the CPI(M) rule in the council. Some bills are eight to ten years old but are still awaiting approval,” Debbarma told PTI.

The TMP, which governs the TTAADC, is an ally of the BJP-led coalition government in Tripura. However, tensions have emerged over delays in granting greater administrative and legislative autonomy to the tribal council.

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Debbarma said the party is now preparing to file a petition in the Supreme Court to seek directions for the clearance of the pending bills. A TMP delegation led by party chief Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma is scheduled to reach New Delhi on Monday to consult senior lawyers on the legal course of action.

“We have already decided to approach the Supreme Court seeking its intervention to get these bills cleared. We want to know from the top court if the government or the governor is in favour of giving our rights or not,” Debbarma said.

The issue underscores growing discontent within the TMP over what it perceives as administrative delays in empowering the TTAADC, which governs two-thirds of Tripura’s geographical area and is home to the state’s tribal population.