Tripura polls: Left releases manifesto, promises 250,000 new jobs

The opposition CPI(M)-led Left Front in Tripura on Friday unveiled its manifesto for the assembly polls, promising 2.5 lakh new jobs, pension to poor senior citizens, and reintroduction of the old pension scheme and two DA hikes for government employees every year if it is voted to power.

In the 15-page manifesto, it also promised the reinstatement of 10,323 retrenched teachers, regularisation of services of contractual employees and more autonomy to the tribal council.

Addressing a press conference, Left Front convener Narayan Kar alleged that democracy was throttled in Tripura after the BJP came to power in 2018.

"Voting rights of people have been snatched away under the BJP-IPFT regime, while people's liberty to raise their voice has been lost. The Left Front will restore the democratic values once it wins the elections," he said.

"We will create 2.5 lakh jobs during the next five years if the Left Front secures the blessing of the people," he said, adding that contractual employees will also be regularised as per the guidelines.

Any person whose age is over 60 years and has an annual income of less than Rs 1 lakh will get social pension, Kar said.

The Left Front will also increase the dearness allowance (DA) of government employees twice a year based on the consumer price index and reintroduce the old pension scheme, he said.

Tripura has 1,88,494 government employees and pensioners.

The Left Front also promised 200-day work per year to the poor to boost the rural economy.

Kar said the Left Front will provide high level of autonomy for the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC).

Asserting that the Left Front is committed to providing a corruption-free and people-friendly government, he said a common minimum programme of its alliance with the Congress will be released soon.

The CPI(M) will contest in 43 seats alone while other Left Front constituents -- the Forward Bloc, RSP and the CPI -- will be contesting in one seat each. The Left Front is supporting an independent candidate in the Ramnagar constituency in West Tripura. The Congress is fighting 13 seats as per the seat-sharing agreement.

The voting for the 60-member assembly will be held on February 16 and counting will take place on March 2.