Agartala, January 6:
Tension prevailed at Bishramganj in Tripura’s Sepahijala district on Tuesday after local residents, mostly from the indigenous community, blocked the national highway at Puskarbari to protest against the district administration’s move to include areas under the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) in a recent declared urban body.
The protesters said they were not opposed to the formation of a Nagar Panchayat and which was reported declared last week by the DM, but strongly objected to the inclusion of Sixth Schedule areas under the TTAADC within its jurisdiction.
They argued that Sixth Schedule provisions offer constitutional protection to tribal land, preventing its transfer or use by non-tribals, and warned that such safeguards would be diluted if the areas were brought under an urban local body.
“We are not against development or the creation of a Nagar Panchayat, but inclusion of TTAADC areas will weaken the constitutional protection guaranteed to indigenous people,” the protesters said.
The demonstrators also maintained that the agitation was not being led by any political party and that local indigenous residents of the Bishramganj area had gathered spontaneously to voice their concerns.
The highway blockade severely disrupted vehicular movement, leading to long traffic snarls.
Reportedly, a new urban local body—Bishramganj Nagar Panchayat—has recently been constituted in Tripura’s Sepahijala district by amalgamating several rapidly developing villages around the market area. The final ward delimitation was notified in late December 2025. However, the district administration has maintained that no areas under the district council have been included and viewed that a joint committee has been constituted to verify the same.
A large number of security personnel were deployed at the site to prevent any untoward incident, while senior police officials including Vikash Senthiya, SDPO Bishalgarh, reached the area and closely monitored the situation.
Officials of the district administration initiated talks with the protesters in an attempt to lift the blockade. However, police sources said the agitators were demanding a written assurance from the Sepahijala District Magistrate that no TTAADC areas would be included in the proposed Nagar Panchayat.
They also sought representation from local indigenous residents to oversee the demarcation of areas to be included.
With the TTAADC elections scheduled within the next two months, the issue is being closely watched, amid concerns that political parties may step in and further intensify the agitation in the coming days.
