Agartala, June 12: Tripura Power and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ratan Lal Nath on Thursday reiterated the state government’s commitment to providing government employment to eligible family members of those killed in political violence, irrespective of political affiliation.
Addressing a press conference at the Civil Secretariat, Nath said the BJP-led government introduced a dedicated scheme to support families affected by political killings and has already provided jobs to several beneficiaries under the initiative.
The minister said that before the BJP came to power in 2018, numerous incidents of political violence and killings had taken place in the state. Citing available records, he said that between 1993 and 2017, a total of 15,589 murders were reported in Tripura, including hundreds of cases linked to political violence.
“After forming the government, it was decided that if a suitable member exists in the family of a person killed in political violence, one government job would be provided under a special scheme,” Nath said.
He informed that the ‘Scheme for Providing Employment to Members of Family of Persons Killed in Political Violence’ was officially notified on December 23, 2020. Initially, the scheme covered only cases of political killings that occurred up to March 9, 2018. However, under the leadership of Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha, the state Cabinet later amended the scheme by removing the date restriction, allowing wider coverage.
Nath explained that a detailed verification process is followed before extending benefits. Police reports, inquiries and supporting documents are examined to determine whether a death was politically motivated and whether an eligible family member is available for employment.
A scrutiny committee headed by the minister and comprising representatives from the Law Department, Home Department, Information and Cultural Affairs Department, and Tripura Police evaluates all applications.
According to Nath, the government has received 38 petitions under the scheme so far. Of these, 18 beneficiaries have already been provided government jobs, while 11 additional names have been recommended. Five applications were rejected due to lack of evidence establishing a political background, while four cases remain under investigation.
The minister stressed that the government does not view political violence through a partisan lens and evaluates all cases on humanitarian grounds.
