Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Agartala: Tipra Motha founder Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma met with Tripura Governor Indrasena Reddy Nallu on Wednesday, August 26. He demanded action on 18 legislative bills passed by the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC). These measures have sat stagnant for years. The delay frustrates local leadership.
Debbarma and TTAADC Chief Executive Member Runiel Debbarma pressed the Governor to clear the backlog. The bills cover land rights, administrative reforms, recruitment policy, and tribal customary laws. These items hold no legal weight without the Governor's official signature. Debbarma noted the bills have been in limbo since roughly 2007.
Elected officials face heat from voters. The public demands to know why promises remain unfulfilled. "Many bills, including those related to land rights, administrative reforms, recruitment policy and customary laws, have been passed by the Council. We are an elected body and people have voted us into power. But these bills are pending for the Governor's signature, and therefore we cannot call them laws," Debbarma explained.
The TTAADC operates under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution. It possesses specific legislative and administrative powers over tribal-majority regions. Despite this, years of effort remain stalled. Debbarma previously raised the issue with past Governors and even brought the matter before the Supreme Court. He expects the Governor to uphold the spirit of the Constitution. For now, the bills remain in the dark.
Updated at 27th August 2026 at 1:49am
Debbarma suggests the bottleneck isn't just the Governor's office. He claims the State Government has blocked many bills from ever reaching the Governor for consideration. He points to a history of friction between the state and the council, citing the 2007 to 2013 period under the CPI(M) as evidence of a deep seated trust deficit that predates his own party's time in power.
Beyond the legislative backlog, Debbarma is eyeing a legal challenge against a recent court judgment on the Permanent Resident of Tripura Certificate. He plans to seek advice from senior legal experts to determine if the decision hurts local job prospects in a state already struggling with high unemployment.
The alliance between Tipra Motha and the BJP also hangs in the balance. Debbarma signaled that the partnership depends entirely on whether the government honors the March 2024 Tripura Accord. He flagged a year long silence from the Joint Working Group, accusing the Centre of dragging its feet and passing the buck back to the state government.
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