Cong claims 471 families to be evicted, MLA denies

The opposition Congress and the ruling Bharatiya Janata party seemed to have involved in a slew of confrontation over a proposed government project, which, if sanctioned, would allegedly evict a perceptible number of families residing in Ladhua under Sabroom subdivision.

According to reports, the government is contemplating to allot a plot of 49-acre land for piggery and meat processing unit which falls under Ladhua tea garden. The decision of the government, which is still in the planning level, invited widespread criticism since the issue came in public notice as this decision would purportedly throw out hundreds of families out of their home.

A delegation of Tripura Pradesh Congress Committee under the leadership of newly appointed Congress chief Pijush Biswas reached the spot this evening and interacted with the locals. Addressing the media over this issue, Biswas alleged that this decision would force altogether 471 families to leave their dwellings and claimed that he would fight for them “till the last”.

“Why they would be evicted?” Biswas asked and said, “I will see the matter till end and if necessary I will challenge this decision in the court”. To an utter surprise, local IPFT leader Dhananjoy Tripura, who is a Zilla Parishad member and affiliated to the ruling ally IPFT accompanied the delegation. Speaking to the media persons, he expressed his dissent and said that he was not even informed about the entire issue. “I am not even consulted regarding the developmental activities planned to be executed in my own area. This project will leave not less than 471 families homeless” he added.

On the other hand, local BJP MLA Shankar Roy sharply refused the allegations raised by Congress and said that only 5 families would be affected due to the project. “The total number of families enlisted under West Ladhua gram Panchayat stands at 378. Both the Congress and the CPIM are playing a number game by claiming 471 and 449 respectively. How is this possible?” Roy argued.

Justifying his argument, Roy added, “The previously ruling CPIM party allotted huge land in the name of Ladhua tea garden which is now left as unproductive land. The present government is planning to utilize this land in some other way to generate employment.”

“This project”, he hoped, “is one of the highly ambitious projects for Sabroom. If everything falls in the right direction, the said project will usher in a new dawn for Sabroom.”

The congress delegation also met the family members of a local TV reporter Premananda Tripura who was attacked by a group of miscreants while covering the issue.