Agartala, Jun 17: The Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT) has demanded a constitutional amendment to introduce a three-tier governance structure in the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC), arguing that such a system is essential for ensuring balanced and effective development in tribal areas.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, IPFT General Secretary Swapan Debbarma said the existing administrative framework in the TTAADC lacks an intermediate tier, unlike the three-tier Panchayati Raj system functioning in non-ADC areas. He asserted that the absence of a multi-level governance structure has affected the pace of development in tribal regions.
The statement comes in the backdrop of recent developments regarding the holding of Village Committee (VC) elections in the TTAADC after a gap of more than a decade.
According to Debbarma, the current TTAADC structure is largely limited to the Village Committee level and does not have an intermediate body comparable to the Panchayat Samiti or Block-level institutions that exist in general areas. He said introducing a three-tier system would strengthen grassroots governance and improve implementation of development programmes.
The IPFT leader further pointed out that provisions for strengthening local self-governance in Sixth Schedule areas were included in the proposed 125th Constitutional Amendment Bill. However, the amendment has not yet been passed by Parliament.
Debbarma urged the Centre to take necessary steps to amend the Constitution and establish a three-tier administrative structure in the TTAADC for the overall development of tribal areas.
