Tripura CM’s outreach: Surprise visits to commoners’ homes

Agartala, Nov. 4 (IANS): In a unique move, Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb has started a practice of surprise visits to common family homes and taking meals with them to directly connect with the ‘aam aadmi’ (common man).

“On every Sunday, I will visit common people’s house in Tripura randomly. It feels great to be among the beloved people of our state,” the Chief Minister said in a tweet on Monday.

Deb, who is also the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) head of the state unit said: “I will urge other leaders and ministers to try the same and connect with people.”

The Chief Minister on Sunday paid a surprise visit to the home of a senior citizen, Aparna Chowdhury, at Dhaleswar on the outskirts of the state capital and had lunch with the family members.

“I am overwhelmed by their (Chowdhury’s family members) love and hospitality. Also happy to feed the ‘Gaumatas’ (cows) at their residence. ‘Gaushalas’ (cattle sheds) are rarely seen in cities these days,” he said in his tweet.

Deb, 48, became the Chief Minister of Tripura on March 9, last year, after his party, in alliance with the tribal-based party Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT), won last year’s assembly polls thrashing the 25-year uninterrupted governance of the Communist Party of India-Marxist led Left Front.