The Tripura Pradesh Congress Committee today demanded direct funding from the Centre to the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) for faster development of the tribal people.
The TTAADC goes to polls to elect its 30-member council on May 3.
"They (TTAADC) should be given more power, but it is very unfortunate that though being in power for the past 23 years, the Left Front has failed to improve the standard of living of the tribals. We demand more power to the tribal council and direct funding to them," TPCC president Birijit Sinha told reporters here.
"It is alarming that 80 per cent of the tribal population of Tripura are deprived of clean drinking water. Crores of rupees are being spent, but the tribals are not getting anything," Sinha said.
He also raised the issue of chit fund and demanded that the state government take initiative in returning back the money of the people who were duped, which according to the Congress, has been operating in the state with total support of the Left Front government.
Elections to the TTAADC would be held on May 3 and a total of 7,58,554 electors, including 3,75,117 women, were eligible to vote.
Of the 30 seats, 28 would be filled through direct elections, out of which 27 are reserved for tribal, while two members are nominated by the government.
The council constitutes two thirds of the state's territory of 10,491.69 square km.
