The Left Front on Thursday launched a sharp attack on the Tripura government, alleging failures in healthcare, power supply, law and order, education, employment, and governance. Addressing a press conference at CPI (M) headquarters in Agartala on Thursday afternoon, Left Front convener and former minister Manik Dey, along with CPI state secretary Milon Baidya, RSP leader Dipak Deb, Forward Bloc leader Raghunath Sarkar, and CPM leader Rajendra Reang, urged the government to address a host of public issues instead of taking what they termed “unilateral decisions.”
Speaking in the press meet, LF convener Manik Dey strongly criticized the government’s decision to prohibit private practice by doctors at Agartala Government Medical College (AMMC) and GB Pant Hospital, claiming the move would further worsen healthcare services due to an existing shortage of doctors. He alleged that the decision was taken without consulting medical professionals and warned that any adverse consequences, including loss of lives, would be the government’s responsibility. He demanded that the order be withdrawn immediately and that the issue be resolved through discussions with stakeholders.
The former Power Minister also condemned the recent increase in electricity charges, particularly the steep hike in fixed charges, alleging that consumers were being forced to bear the burden of the power corporation’s financial failures. He claimed the corporation had failed to recover outstanding dues and was instead imposing higher tariffs on consumers. Dey also referred to the alleged loss of around Rs 150 crore involving a private agency and demanded the withdrawal of the revised power tariff and the installation of smart meters.
On law and order, Dey questioned the government’s handling of the death of an employee at Tripura Santiniketan Medical College, demanding the constitution of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to determine whether it was a case of murder or suicide. He also raised concerns over the alleged rape of a school student at Anandanagar and other recent incidents of crime, alleging that the state government had failed to ensure the safety of women and maintain the rule of law.
He further alleged that drug abuse was spreading rapidly in areas such as Battala and claimed that the younger generation was being pushed towards addiction while the police remained inactive due to pressure from the ruling party.
Referring to the recent explosion in Ramnagar, Dey demanded that the government disclose the findings of the investigation into both the latest blast and the earlier explosion near the old police headquarters. He called for an independent inquiry and the public release of its findings.
The Left Front also raised concerns over alleged interference by ruling party leaders in administrative affairs, citing incidents involving the Officer-in-Charge(OC) of Boxanagar police station, the BDO of Amarpur, and the SDM of Bishalgarh. Dey alleged that corruption had spread across various government departments and sought impartial investigations into the allegations.
He criticized the alleged harassment of an Inspector of School (IS) during the West District Magistrate’s school inspection, calling it an abuse of authority and demanding a thorough inquiry.
Highlighting infrastructure issues, Dey described the condition of several national highways, including the Khowai stretch, as “unfit for traffic” and blamed poor construction quality for the increasing number of road accidents.
The Left Front leader also alleged an acute shortage of employment opportunities in the state, claiming that many people were migrating to neighbouring states in search of work. He questioned the implementation of employment schemes and also referred to allegations of child trafficking, reduction in TUEP work, and delays in the disbursement of pensions and other government benefits, which he said had triggered protests in several parts of the state.
Criticizing the eviction of street vendors, Dey alleged that hawkers had been removed without following legal procedures or providing alternative rehabilitation. Referring to reported remarks by Agartala Mayor Dipak Majumder advising evicted vendors to shift to refugee camps, Dey described the eviction drive as inhumane.
CPI state secretary Milon Baidya alleged that the state’s education system was in poor condition due to an acute shortage of teachers in schools. He also claimed that despite pipelines being laid under the Atal Jal Dhara scheme, many villages continued to face drinking water shortages. He further alleged that prolonged power outages were severely affecting people living in rural and hilly areas.
RSP leader Dipak Deb alleged that the state’s law and order situation had deteriorated significantly. Claiming that narcotics were entering Tripura through railway routes, he said residents no longer felt secure and accused the government of failing to tackle the growing crime and drug menace.
The Left Front urged the state government to take immediate corrective measures and engage in dialogue with stakeholders to resolve the issues affecting the people of Tripura.