People's Democracy

TRIPURA

25 Thousand PGP families covered by Janashree Insurance

IN the recently concluded budget session of the Tripura legislative assembly, one of the most important decisions taken by the Left Front government for the interest of the tribal people was that 25 thousand tribals belonging to the ‘Reang’ community were brought under the Janashree Insurance guided by the LIC. As a result, accidental benefit of Rs 50,000, will be given to the bereaved family of the person died in accident. Similarly, Rs 25,000 will be given in the case of cent percent disability caused by accidental injury to a person and Rs 20,000 will be given to the bereaved members of the family of the person in case of natural death.

Besides, a stipend of Rs 100, for the tribal students studying in class IX to class XII of tribal family will be given. As per census of 1971, only 75 groups of tribals in the whole country were put under the primitive group or people (PGP) by the central government. Recently the tribals under Reang community have been added to the PGP on the request of the Tripura Left Front government. The number of tribal persons in the Reang community has reached to 1.43 lakh.

Jitendra Chowdhury, state’s Tribal welfare minister has replied to a question regarding the construction of rest house for the tribal people in the remote hilly areas saying that 4 new rest houses in addition to existing 16 rest houses are being constructed in the places namely Vangmon, Machmara, Kulai, Kathalia. Another rest house for poor rickshaw pullers is being constructed at Lake Chowmohani adjacent to the Agartala town where the poor rickshaw pullers coming from muffasil villages may stay without any cost when they cannot go back to their home at night.

Also, in reply to another question relating to monetary loan of self help to the tribal people, the minister said that in the year 2005-06, 44 tribal persons were given the total loan of Rs 47.39 lakh while in the year 2006-07, 61 tribal persons were given the total amount of Rs 1.02 crores as loan by the Scheduled Tribe Corporation at the instance of the Left Front government.