These questions are pertinent for the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC), which is the only district council in Tripura, but because of the state’s physical features and composition of the population has to address huge problems of backwardness and resultant backlog in the uplift of the quality of life.

TTAADC had in its memorandum to the 15th Finance Commission sought financial support, in the nature of grant, of Rs 5,508.42 crore, with a request to phase the allocation at Rs 1,100 plus crore a year from 2020-21 to 2024-25 – the latter being the terminal year.

The purposes for which the grant was sought was grouped under gap grant of salary to the amount of Rs 2194 crore; special area grant – excluded area project Rs 141.6 crore; grant for specific projects – totalling Rs 250 crore, and livelihood support to patta-holder tribal families under the Forest Rights Act 2006 through rubber plantation and other horticultural activity – Rs 3,050 crore.

In this context it may be mentioned that in February-end TTAADC’s chief executive member (CEM) Purna Chandra Jamatia had unveiled a budget for Rs 1,445.4 crore for the current financial year, marking an increase of 26.5 percent over Rs 1,135 crore for 2023-24. Jamatia had then suggested that the budget sought to tackle various issues, including the outstanding debt of Rs 154 crore owed to the state government.

Despite a sanctioned amount of Rs 672 crore from the state government, shortfall in funds has impeded progress of the development initiatives within the TTAADC area. A big portion of the budget allocation goes in discharging salary and allowance payment obligations, leaving limited resources for development projects.

The 15th Finance Commission had tried its best to help backward states with tribals constituting a large percentage of the population. And TTAADC’s demands were considered favourably by the commission within the overall approach desirable for the country’s economy.

Asked if TTAADC would seek more grants from the 16th Finance Commission, CEM Jamatia told IPA entitlement norms are laid down and the effort always is to get an appreciable increase in grants by justifying the needs and convincing the commission about implementation capabilities.

Which also means that “we have to address our deficiencies” and a case has to be built for increasing untied grants which are utilised by rural local bodies for location-specific felt needs under the 29 subjects enshrined in the 11th Schedule of the Constitution, except for salaries and other establishment costs.

“We also need a respectable increase in tied grants which are used for basic services of sanitation and maintenance of ODF status. This has to include management and treatment of household waste, human excreta and fecal sludge management, in particular. Other key purposes include supply of drinking water, rainwater harvesting and water recycling,” CEM Jamatia said.

In this context, it may be mentioned that for Tripura the first instalment of untied grant of Rs 31.4 crore and the first instalment of tied grant of Rs 47.1 crore were released in early November for rural local bodies.

TTAADC’s proposals to be posed to the 16th Finance Commission will also include construction of dwelling units for hardcore Jhumia (shifting cultivation), construction of farmers’ hostel and a scheme for healthy child in specified areas will be continued.

Why more funds are needed? At 7,132.56 sq km, the TTAADC jurisdiction covers about 68 per cent of Tripura’s total area. As per census 2011, the council area’s population was 12.66 lakh, which was about 34.45 percent of the state’s total population. Eighty-four percent of the tribal population lives in the Sixth Schedule area.

The population ratio of other sections were SCs – 4.82 percent, OBC – 5.12 percent, minorities – 2.09 percent and others/general – 3.73 percent. Some improvement in the tribal population’s lot is there.

Yet poverty is rampant as a large percentage of the tribal population lives in forest lands and is dependent on subsistence agriculture called ‘Jhuming’. This is despite the fact that 73 percent of the council’s geographical area is forest land which cannot be diverted for commercial plantation under the existing Forest Conservation Act.

TTAADC came into existence in 1979 under the TTAADC Act 1979 passed by the Tripura Assembly. The Tripura Act was brought under the ambit of the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution by the 49th amendment of the Constitution. Tripura now has a BJP-led ministry with Tipra Motha as its partner.

Tipra Motha has two ministers and it had fought the Assembly elections, held in February 2023, as an opposition party and had bagged 13 seats. But before the Lok Sabha elections, earlier this year, it had become BJP’s coalition partner. (IPA Service)