Agartala, September 19: The first day of the eighth session of the Tripura Legislative Assembly witnessed sharp exchanges between the opposition and treasury benches over the decision to curtail the duration of the session.
Opposition legislators, including Congress MLA Gopal Chandra Roy and CPI(M) MLA Shyamal Chakraborty, demanded that the session be extended by at least three more days to allow detailed discussion on the alleged corruption in government departments. They cited the recent exposure of a ₹16-crore scam in the Agartala Municipal Corporation, besides other corruption allegations across various state offices.
Roy, raising the issue during the proceedings, asked why the Assembly should sit for only two days when the state is grappling with major issues such as unemployment, farmers’ distress, and corruption. “Just because the Prime Minister is visiting, should the Assembly be cut short? Does that mean public issues lose their importance?” he questioned.
Congress MLA Sudip Roy Barman also echoed the demand, stating that the government should not have shortened the Assembly session due to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s September 22 visit to inaugurate the renovated Tripurasundari Temple at Udaipur. “The decision undermines the interests of the people. I don’t think the citizens of Tripura will be happy with this,” he remarked.
Leader of the Opposition Jitendra Choudhury added that the decision “does not send a good message to the people of the state.”
In response, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ratan Lal Nath defended the government, stating that all senior officials and department heads would be engaged in the Prime Minister’s programme, making it impossible to run the House simultaneously. “Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the most popular leader of the country. He is visiting Tripura for an important government event. It is not possible to conduct Assembly proceedings during this time. However, I assure the opposition that more days will be allotted in the next session,” Nath said.
Chief Whip Kalyani Roy countered the opposition by pointing out that the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) had invited Congress representatives to the meeting where the decision was taken, but they failed to attend. Later, Deputy Speaker Ram Prasad Pal presented the BAC report in the Assembly, which was passed by a majority vote.
The decision has triggered heated debate in political circles, with the opposition calling it an attempt to evade discussion on corruption and public issues, while the government maintains it is purely an administrative necessity linked to the Prime Minister’s high-profile visit.
