Agartala, January 27:
Tripura Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha on Tuesday mounted a scathing political attack on the Opposition CPIM and Leader of the Opposition Jitendra Chaudhury, accusing them of deliberately distancing themselves from development while continuing to run a “false narrative” against the BJP-led double engine government.
Addressing programmes in Sabroom under South Tripura district, Saha expressed strong resentment over Chaudhury’s absence from government functions held in his own constituency, despite formal invitations being issued.
“I always direct officials to invite the concerned MLA, irrespective of party affiliation. But even after repeated invitations, the Leader of the Opposition chose not to attend programmes in his own area,” the Chief Minister said, speaking to reporters.
Launching a direct attack, Saha alleged that the CPIM has made negativity its only political tool. “If they are invited, they find excuses. If they are not, they create an issue. This is the politics they practice — opposing development for the sake of opposition,” he said.
The Chief Minister said the CPIM leadership keeps alleging that no development is taking place in Tripura, but ground reality tells a different story.
“They repeatedly complain about lack of development, yet they themselves are using the benefits — better roads, faster connectivity and improved infrastructure reaching up to Sabroom. These are the outcomes of the double engine government,” he asserted.
Terming the Opposition’s approach as “negative mentality,” Saha said the people of Tripura are no longer being misled as the era of negative politics is ending.
The Chief Minister urged the Opposition to abandon what he described as a “habit of disruption” and join the development process. “Tripura’s Opposition must come out of this negative mentality and stand with the people,” he added.
During the visit, Saha physically inaugurated a blood centre at the Sabroom Sub-Divisional Hospital, virtually inaugurated an Integrated AYUSH Hospital at Jalepha, and laid the foundation stone of the Sabroom Fire Station. The combined cost of the projects is around ₹8 crore.
Highlighting healthcare achievements, the Chief Minister in his address said the Union Health Ministry has sanctioned ₹75 crore each for setting up a Homeopathy Hospital and an Ayurvedic Hospital in Tripura.
He also informed that the state cabinet has approved the establishment of a State Health University and the process has already begun.
Saha said Tripura now has 450 MBBS seats and 119 postgraduate medical seats annually, claiming that healthcare infrastructure has been strengthened even at subdivision and remote levels.
He further stated that Tripura has become the only state in the country where 100 per cent of the population is covered under free health insurance of up to ₹5 lakh annually through PMJAY and the Mukhyamantri Jan Arogya Yojana.
The Chief Minister said the number of beds in government medical colleges has been increased from 727 to 1,413, with more additions in the pipeline, while critical care and communicable disease centres are also being developed.
Saha added that the state has signed an MoU with AIIMS, New Delhi, for better hospital management along with telemedicine facilities, and announced upcoming projects including mother-and-child healthcare units, a new dental college building under PM-DevINE, and a tertiary eye hospital.
Reiterating his political attack, the Chief Minister said, “Development cannot wait for those who prefer boycott politics. Tripura will move forward — with or without them.”
The programmes were attended by Cabinet Minister Shukla Charan Noatia, local MLA Mailafru Mog, Saju Wahid, NHM Mission Director Sajad P, South Tripura District Magistrate and Collector Maurya Krishnan C, and Superintendent of Police, South Tripura district.
The remarks come at a time when political temperature is rising ahead of key TTAADC electoral battles, with the BJP intensifying its offensive against the CPIM and as well as its ally TIPRA Motha party over governance, credibility and participation in development initiatives.
