Ex-Tripura CM demands white paper on ‘debt burden’ inherited from Left Front rule

Agartala, Mar 24 (PTI) Leader of Opposition in Tripura Assembly Manik Sarkar on Thursday said the BJP-IPFT government should publish a white paper informing the people about how the present dispensation tackled the “debt burden” inherited from the previous regime.

The BJP-IPFT alliance came to power in the north-eastern state in 2018 by ending 25 years of CPI(M)-led Left Front rule.

A document on the state’s debt burden to the tune of Rs. 11,000 crore was brought out by the BJP-IPFT government after it came to power in March 2018.

The present government had tabled two back to back zero deficit Budgets in the Assembly in its first two fiscals. Had the previous government not left anything, the present government would not have presented zero deficit Budgets for two consecutive years , Sarkar, a former chief minister, said.

Speaking to journalists at his chamber in the state assembly, Sarkar said the Budget for the 2022-23 FY that was presented in the House shows a deficit of Rs. 569.52 crore.

The people of the state want the present government to unveil a white paper on how it offset the debt burden of the erstwhile regime and presented zero deficit budgets for two consecutive years , he said.

The former chief minister also alleged the present government has removed around 50,000 beneficiaries from the list of various social pensions.

Therefore, enhancing the amount of social pension to Rs. 2,000 for the downtrodden is not a big deal because around half a lakh beneficiaries are already denied of the benefit , he pointed out.

Criticising the government for ignoring the aspirations of youth and government employees, the Left leader said There is no mention about fresh appointment in government departments. It seems the Budget declared a war against job aspirants.

In the past four years of the BJP regime, 1.50 lakh employees have received DA only three times! Earlier, they used to get it twice in a year. The erratic release of DA has widened the gap of DA between employees of the Central government and the state .

Around 25- 28 per cent DA is pending for state government employees, Sarkar claimed.

He also expressed dismay as the five-day Budget session passed as many as ten Bills.

Our MLAs wanted to send at least two Bills to the select committee for further discussion but all the bills were passed riding on the strength of the Treasury Bench, he added.