Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Agartala: The Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council froze the salaries of all Group A and B officers. This order follows a September 9 mandate from the Tripura High Court. Officials will not receive pay until further notice. The court directive came after a former employee filed a writ petition for unpaid retirement benefits totaling Rs 16.03 lakh. The employee retired on January 31, 2025.
The council previously claimed it lacked the funds to pay the benefits without approval from the state Finance Secretary. The state counsel countered that the TTAADC manages its own budget as an autonomous body. Consequently, the court ordered the Chief Executive Officer, the Finance Secretary, and district treasury officers to resolve the payment issue. The court specifically restrained the Chief Executive Officer from receiving his own salary.
Chief Executive Member Chaitanya Murti issued the official hold on September 17. The court exempted Group C and D staff from the salary freeze. The dispute hits as the council prepares for the September 28 elections for 587 village committees. The Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma-led Tipra Motha Party controls 20 of the 28 council seats.
The Leader of the Opposition and CPI(M) MLA attacked the administration over the move. He blamed the situation on a major fund crunch. He called the management of the council "most unfortunate and disgraceful" and questioned the party's ability to govern the tribal territory. The case returns to court on October 5.
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