Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Monday rejected claims by a key political ally, TIPRA Motha Dal, that the government is starving tribal areas of funds, instead accusing local tribal leadership of “poor governance”.
Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha addressing a press conference at BJP party office in Agartala (ANI)Saha said that around 39.06% of the expenditure in 2025-26 was for tribal areas and this figure will increase to 40% in the upcoming 2026-27 budget.
“I have clearly mentioned in the Assembly what percentage of the total state allocation has been given to Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC). In the 2025-26 budget, we have given 39.06% to TTAADC, mainly tribal areas. However, in the upcoming budget this percentage will be more than 40%,” Sahart said in the report.
He added that a large chunk of the money would go towards meeting committed expenses like salaries, pensions and social pensions and interest payments and accused the TTAADC authorities of “deliberately” misunderstanding financial calculations.
The chief minister’s comment was a direct rebuttal to the Tipra Motha leadership, which has often argued that the tribal community remains economically marginalized despite the state’s official growth figures.
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“They have been saying that money is not coming. But everyone knows what is happening there (TTAADC). It is because of their poor governance”, he argued, adding that the council’s financial woes are self-indulgent. For example, they hired staff without consulting the state’s finance department, putting pressure on its finances.
“Now they are unable to pay the pension. It is their responsibility and not the state government’s,” he said.
