Seven structures of CPI(M), Cong illegally built on govt land demolished

Seven structures of the CPI(M) and the Congress and their affiliated trade unions, built illegally on government land, were demolished in the Old Motor Stand area here today.

The demolition drive started this morning and continued for several hours.

More than 100 illegal structures of political parties have been identified in West Tripura district, which includes the state capital, Agartala.

All the structures would be demolished in the coming days, District Magistrate (West Tripura) Milind Ramteke said.

Stating that a seven-day deadline was given to all the political parties on April 30 to remove the structures, he said it expired last night and the demolition drive was launched this morning.

"There are 104 identified illegal structures in West Tripura district. We started with six-seven in the Old Motor Stand area. Similar drives will be carried out for all such structures. Every day, some illegal offices will be demolished," the DM said.

The seven illegal structures razed today included offices of the opposition CPI(M), Congress and trade unions affiliated to them.

The BJP rode to power for the first time in Tripura in March, putting an end to the 25-year rule of the CPI(M).

The opposition parties in the north-eastern state had yesterday objected to the ruling dispensation's decision to bulldoze the structures of various political parties and trade unions.

However, Ramteke said the decision was very clear that unauthorised offices of all parties on government land would be demolished or removed.

No party had approached his office with a plea to accept money and exempt the offices from demolition, the DM added.

Former state minister and a trade union leader of the CPI(M), Manik Dey, criticised the move, saying it reminded him of Emergency.

"It is worse than Emergency. During that time, a government team had come to bulldoze this office, but pulled back in the face of resistance from the working class," he said, standing in front of a dismantled office of a CPI(M) motor workers' union.

Congress leaders later staged a dharna in front of the DM's office.

They said there were many Congress offices in the state, some as old as 50 years.

Pointing out that an Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) office was demolished today, Tripura Congress chief Birajit Sinha said the demolition move had exceeded the martial law and added that the protests against it would continue.