The leader of the opposition of Tripura on Wednesday claimed that the so-called development of Tripura consists only of posters of the Prime Minister and Chief Minister and to see the real picture of Tripura, the CM must go to the rural areas of the state.

Addressing a press conference at the official chamber of opposition leader Animesh Debbarma, severe shortages of jobs are prevailing across Tripura and people in rural areas even did not get jobs under MGNREGA and in absence of jobs, the suffering of people has increased manifold.

Castigating the policies of the state government, Debbarma asked why not the government fulfilling the vacant government posts and despite the passing of many years, why not announcing the results of TET-I and II and results of STGT to fill up the  posts of teachers.

“In absence of teachers, the education system is deteriorating day by day and we have seen at a Sonamura school, senior students were seen conducting classes of junior students. Why is the government silent on the lack of recruitment? Let them come out with a clarification," Animesh Debbarma said.

He alleged that bogus claims of development made by the government are only seen in posters and papers and demanded Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha to reach out to the people on the ground to see the reality of Tripura and suffering of people.

He also said that remote villages are reeling under an acute drinking water crisis, lakhs of youths are suffering from unemployment, adequate work isn’t available under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) and payment for work done under the flagship scheme is still pending, in many areas for over two months.

He added that he had tried to reach the Chief Minister to raise the problems of people and called his personal secretary and despite assurance from his official, he has been waiting to get a response for the last five days. He asked that if this is the condition of an Opposition leader, what’s the condition of the common people of Tripura?

Debbarma also questioned the government over claims of providing safe drinking water to all households and said people in the villages, especially the tribal hamlets, are suffering from problems with drinking water. He said that the Chief Minister himself holds the portfolios of 35 departments of Tripura government and CM himself as responsible for the suffering of people.

He said that the state government’s funds from the state are going outside and contractors from other states like Punjab, Delhi etc are coming to Tripura to work and state’s own contractors are not getting any contracts of government works.

He said the BJP-led government took double the amount of loan in the last six years alone, compared to what was left behind by erstwhile Left Front governments till 2018.

The health services are also deteriorating day by day and poor people are given treatment in government hospitals with expired medicines, said Animesh and added that due to shortage of manpower, the electricity supply by the Power department is also in bad shape.

Debbarma also demanded an investigation into the alleged medicine procurement tender of the state government where it allegedly granted the order to a blacklisted company for stockpiling medicines for the next two years.

Murders, rapes, abductions, illegal drug trade, TCA investigation, land grabbing, mafia tax and factional feud over forced subscription within the BJP are common in these days in Tripura, said Debbarma and added that the BJP  promised ‘proti ghore susashan’ (good governance in every household) but Tripura now has ‘Proti ghore nirjaton’ (oppression at every household). The government needs to strictly deal with these anti-social elements. He also alleged that the ‘mafia tax’ regime started in Tripura and daily common people are becoming the victim of Mafia raj of ruling BJP supporters.