Jamatia urges Centre to expedite forming committee on tribals

Agartala, May 12 (PTI): The Tripura Tribal Welfare Minister Mevar Kumar Jamatia today urged the Centre to accelerate formation of an ‘inter ministerial modality committee’ to study the socio-economic, cultural and linguistic problems of the tribals in the state.

A team of the Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura (IPFT), an alliance partner of the state government, met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Rajnath rpt Rajnath Singh on January 8 this year before the Tripura Assembly elections and they were assured of forming the committee, Jamatia told PTI.

Jamatia, who is also IPFT general secretary, said he had sent a letter on Thursday to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh requesting him for an early formation of the committee which was mentioned in the BJP vision document for the February-18 Assembly election.

“Two months have passed since the state government was formed. I have written to humbly remind the union minister to form it,” Jamatia said.

The minister would soon visit New Delhi to seek union governments approval on a host of projects for developing indigenous communities and indigenous-inhabited areas.

The proposed projects include announcing three villages in Dhalai, Unakoti and West Tripura districts as ‘Heritage Villages.’ A proposal to develop each of these villages with an estimated cost of Rs six crore would be placed before the Centre.

“These villages would help boost culture tourism.

Tourists would visit the villages and enjoy their culture and tradition,” the minister said.