Guwahati: According to a PTI report, Tipra Motha Party (TMP) chief Pradyot Kishore Debbarma on Monday alleged that tribal families in North Tripura district are being evicted from their ancestral lands, despite the land being protected under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.
Debbarma claimed he had received multiple complaints from residents of Damcherra and Panisagar, alleging threats of eviction from land they have inhabited for generations.
“These people have lived here for generations, yet they’re being asked to vacate the land because they don’t hold official land rights,” he said, questioning the legality of such evictions within Autonomous District Council (ADC) areas. “Isn’t it unlawful that tribals are being removed to make way for outsiders?”
He further alleged that the state government has failed to protect tribal land. “The Tiprasa people are being pushed out while outsiders are being settled. Natural resources are being exploited without our consent, and anyone who raises their voice is labelled a terrorist and arrested,” he said.
However, the district administration has denied any eviction drive is underway in the area.
North Tripura District Magistrate Chandi Chandrana clarified that the land in question is part of a project undertaken by Indradhanush Gas Grid Limited (IGGL), which is laying an underground gas pipeline as part of the Northeast gas grid initiative. He said the landowner, currently residing in Delhi, was compensated with ₹46 lakh and had signed a formal bond stating she would not oppose the project.
Chandrana added, “She is now demanding ₹90 lakh for the same land, which is part of a reserved forest area. The company cannot pay ₹90 lakh for just 1 kani (approximately 0.13 hectares) of land.”
He also noted that three official meetings were convened to address the issue, but the landowner did not attend any. The administration maintained that no tribal families were being forcibly evicted and that due compensation was already paid as per legal procedures.
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