Two senior Ministers of the Tripura State Government, N.C. Devbarman and Mevar Kumar Jamatia led a delegation of MLAs from Indigenous Peoples’ Front of Tripura (IPFT) to meet Union DoNER Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh and discuss some of the issues of their concern. IPFT is a part of the BJP-led government in the State.
In a memorandum presented to the Minister, the delegation sought to bring to notice the social, economic, cultural, linguistic and other issues related to the indigenous population of Tripura. They also referred to a high-level committee constituted by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs in September 2018.

Among the demands put across by the delegation was the constituting of Model Villages with all basic amenities in tribal areas of the State which, they claimed, had been accepted by the Ministry of Home Affairs Committee.

The memorandum appreciated the Modi Government for having taken the initiative for amendment of VI Schedule of the Constitution of India, the draft of which was approved by the Union Cabinet on January 2019. While welcoming the proposed new provision, the memorandum offered suggestions regarding the nomenclature of the different District Councils.

The delegation also brought to the notice of the DoNER Minister that the State Government of Tripura has recommended for the inclusion of “Kokborok” language in VIII Schedule of the Constitution. The memorandum also made a plea for a special package for recruitment in different departments/establishments in the Government.
Dr. Jitendra Singh gave a patient hearing to the delegation. He said, since most of the demands pertaining to the Ministry of Home Affairs, he will forward the same to the concerned Ministry.

However, Dr. Jitendra Singh added, the development activity has picked up at a fast pace in Tripura in the last three years. The situation has also improved with no longer incidents of violence being reported. He also referred to the ambitious Rail project of the train to Bangladesh from Agartala to Akhaura.