The Tripura government on Monday denied the allegation made by the opposition leader of the sale of a newborn child by her mother in Gandacherra subdivision of Dhalai district due to poverty and claimed the allegation is totally baseless.

Addressing a press conference at Civil Secretariat on Monday afternoon, Food and Civil Supplies Minister Sushanta Chowdhury said that Leader of Opposition (LoP), Jitendra Chaudhury on May 24th last wrote a letter to the Chief Secretary, J K Sinha and alleged that a newborn girl child sold by her mother with an amount of Rs. 5000 at Taraban Colony North Gandacherra ADC village of Dhalai district.

Giving details Chowdhury said that after the report of a newborn child allegedly sold, the district administration immediately started investigation and the matter has also been informed to the Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha.

But, the mother and her child on Saturday were rescued and both of them were shifted to Koloi district hospital for their treatment.

On Thursday (May 24), leader of opposition (LoP) and CPI (M) state secretary, Jitendra Chaudhury drew the attention of the state administration and the Chief Secretary to investigate the matter that a 37-year-old mother had to sell her new-born-baby due to extreme poverty.

Minister Chowdhury said that one Mormari Tripura (39) gave birth to a girl child on May 22 at the Gandachara Sub-Divisional Hospital and the next day she allegedly sold the child to a couple for Rs 5,000, citing severe poverty, which was totally false and baseless.

He said Mormari Tripura, mother of six children and a resident of Taravan Colony in Uttar Gandacherra ADC village including the newborn, had lost her husband five months ago  and she did not want to deliver the baby and had also gone to a doctor for abortion.

But, the baby was in her womb in advance and could not be aborted and finally on May 22 , she delivered the baby and on the next day, May 23, she handed over the newborn girl to a childless couple of Hejamara block under West Tripura district.

Chowdhury added that after reports of illegal adoption of a child, the local administration and authorities of child right protection commission rushed to the spot and after counseling the mother, they stopped the adoption. He said that adoption of the child of one Binoy Kumar Debbarma and his wife was stopped due to legal complications.

He said that Mormari Tripura already has five children and her elder son is working in Bangalore and her elder daughter is married and her other three children are studying in a local school.

Mormari Tripura’s family have ration card and they are taking all PDS items from ration shop, so the allegation made by opposition leader is total baseless, said Chowdhury and added that Chief Minister is very critical on such issues and government has decided to give monthly widow social pension to Mormari Tripura.

He also slammed the opposition leader for spreading false news and urged him to verify facts before campaigning on their false agenda.

It may be recalled here that opposition leader Jitendra Chaudhury , earlier on May 24 sought immediate intervention of Dhalai District Magistrate (DM) Saju Vaheed A and Chief Secretary of Tripura, J K Sinha.

The District Magistrate and his team on Saturday rescued the baby and handed it over to the woman and said that the mother and the newborn are now at a home in Gandacherra.

Vaheed  said that it is a fact that the woman with five children (excluding the newborn) has been facing severe poverty especially after her husband’s death. But it is not a fact that the woman sold her ration card and other documents to others.  He said that some support is also being provided to the needy woman.

While, opposition leader Jitendra Chaudhury on Monday in another letter to the Chief Secretary and appreciates both Chief Secretary and DM (Dhalai)   for taking good efforts and succeeding in recovering and reverting the newborn baby.