Tripura chief minister Biplab Deb demands additional funds from Centre to fulfill poll promises

Agartala: Tripura chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb has demanded additional financial support from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to complete the poll promises made to the people of the state.

On Friday, Deb met Nripendra Misra, principal secretary to Modi at the Prime Minister's Office in New Delhi to place the demand, an official statement said.

"Some promises have been made to the people of the state. Fulfillment of all these promises can be possible with additional financial support from the Centre as the state government is passing through very difficult financial position," the statement, issued by the office of the chief minister, said.

Deb sought additional funds for filling up 12,222 vacant posts of school teachers, introduction of the 7th central Pay Commission recommendations for state government employees, setting up a central agricultural university and a super-specialty hospital like the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Tripura.

The chief minister also requested the Centre to allow one-time relaxation in educational and professional qualifications for teachers in Tripura, the release said.

Apart from funds, Deb demanded a CBI inquiry into the killings of two journalists in 2017. On 20 September, TV journalist Santanu Bhowmik was hacked to death while covering a political event at Mandai in West Tripura, about 30 km from Agartala.

The other journalist, Sudip Dutta Bhowmik, was shot dead inside the headquarters of Tripura State Rifle"s 2nd battalion at RK Nagar, about 15 Km from Agartala, on 21 November.

The BJP-IPFT government resolved in the first meeting of the council of ministers in March to hand over the investigations to the CBI.

The statement said Mishra gave a patient hearing to Deb and assured to implement the demands after proper examinations.

After the first BJP government in Tripura came to power in March, it was sanctioned Rs 2,587 crore central funds for development projects and schemes such as housing, education and rural jobs.

Deb had said last month that Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has promised Rs 12,000 crore for six national highways in the state.

According to the BJP, Tripura is reeling under a deficit of Rs 11,355 crore, accumulated during the 25 years of Left Front rule.