Agartala, Sep 26 (IANS) Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Thursday said that without the development of the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC), the development of the state is not possible.

The Chief Minister said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is working with firm determination for the overall development of Janajati (tribals) brothers and sisters.

He was speaking at a party function and welcomed 920 voters from 230 families, who all joined the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party at Rabindra Shatabarshiki Bhavan.

CM Saha said that as a result of positive and proactive initiative of the government, smiles are spreading among the Janajati people of the state.

Terming the joining of the 920 people into BJP as a historic day, he said that People should take the right decision at the right time.

“We have seen how Janajati (tribal) people were used in the name of politics, and we must work to free them from such dirty politics. When I see Janajati people, I see that they don’t smile. But it is our responsibility to make them smile. Earlier, no Prime Minister worked for the Janajati,” Saha added.

He claimed that work for the welfare of tribals started under then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, and when Narendra Modi became Prime Minister in 2014.

“PM Modi always said that we must think about the last person in society, and we are working in this direction to provide all benefits to the people,” said Saha.

He said that after the joining of 920 people, BJP’s strength will increase further. Saha also declared that ignoring TTAADC development of the state is impossible as around 68 per cent of the area falls under the tribal autonomous body.

BJP’s junior partner Tipra Motha Party (TMP) has been governing the 30-member politically important TTAADC, which has jurisdiction over two-thirds of Tripura’s 10,491 sq km area, and is home to over 12,16,000 people, of which around 84 per cent are tribals.

The Chief Minister told the gathering that the state government has provided over Rs 860 crores to the TTAADC under various schemes and projects.

“We have never deprived TTAADC. Earlier, nobody thought about the Ujjayanta Palace. But after we came, we developed it to showcase the history of Tripura and its royal family. We are maintaining traditions. We feel proud that our Maharajas (kings) have worked for Tripura. We have given due respect to the former Maharajas of Tripura, which the earlier government never did,” Saha stated.

BJP state President Rajib Bhattacharya, Tribal Welfare Minister Bikas Debbarma, party General Secretary Bipin Debbarma, and President of Janajati Morcha Parimal Debbarma were present in the joining programme.

–IANS

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