Agartala: Reformed ultras under the banner of the Joint Action Committee (JAC) and Joint Action Rehabilitation Committee (JARC) of Tripura have threatened to block Assam-Agartala National Highway (NH-8) on November 9, if their demands, including withdrawal of pending cases, were not fulfilled.
In a letter to Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha, a former militant said, “We have urged the Tripura government to co-operate with the returnees and also work for their welfare measures. A meeting in this connection was held on July 8 in the chamber of the Minister for Tribal Welfare Department. The Minister was presiding over the meeting. But to date, our demands were not fulfilled. The returnees didn't get any benefit to sustain their family”.
Returnees have been passing through hardships. Several of them are on the verge of starvation without having any source of income, because they did not get any benefit after laying down their firearms, he added. “We also tried to pursue the matter, but the officials were not cooperating with us. Hence, the purpose of Broad Package Scheme or Rehabilitation for the returnees is defeated," he said while quoting the letter.
Former or surrendered militants also demanded the intervention of the chief minister in the matter and also sought an appointment with the latter to discuss their pending demands.
“Suppose, our long pending demands were not fulfilled then we will resort to an agitation of road blockade," stated the letter. The surrendered militants were demanding the Tripura government, aid for running the piggery and goat rearing scheme, providing electricity under the tiller scheme, housing facility under PMAY, Chief Minister's Rubber Mission Scheme as well as withdrawal of pending cases.
