Agartala, December 8:
The Tripura Pradesh Congress on Monday staged a strong protest in Agartala, symbolically burning copies of the draft Seed Bill 2025 and Electricity Bill 2025. The party accused the Central government of introducing policies that “serve corporate interests while undermining the rights of farmers and ordinary citizens.”
Tripura Congress president Asish Kumar Saha criticised the Union government, alleging that while the value of the Indian rupee continues to fall, the Centre is more focused on safeguarding corporate profits than addressing the concerns of the public. He said both proposed legislations are “anti-farmer and anti-people,” prompting the Congress and the INDIA bloc to oppose them in Parliament and launch nationwide protests demanding their immediate withdrawal.
Saha, a former MLA, stated that the draft Seed Bill would grant major multinational companies and large corporate houses undue control over the country’s seed supply, echoing the controversial provisions seen earlier in the Contract Farming Act. “These Bills endanger the livelihoods of farmers and erode public welfare,” he added.
The protest rally commenced from Congress Bhavan and marched through several key locations in the city, with demonstrators shouting slogans against the Bills and urging the government to reconsider its approach.
At a brief public gathering during the rally, party leaders claimed that the Seed Bill 2025 would deprive farmers of their traditional right to produce and preserve their own seeds, a practice followed for generations. They further argued that the draft Electricity Bill 2025 would reduce state regulatory power and pave the way for greater corporate influence in the power sector.
Mahila Congress state president Sarbani Ghosh Chakraborty, spokesperson Prabir Chakraborty, and other leaders expressed concern that the removal of cross-subsidy provisions under the Electricity Bill would result in steep electricity tariffs for rural households and farmers.
“Both Bills are fundamentally anti-people. That is why we are burning their copies today,” Ghosh declared.
The Tripura Congress affirmed that its agitation will continue nationwide until both proposed Bills are completely withdrawn.
