Reported by Mrinal Banik
Agartala: Bru migrants from Khasnampara Village Committee in North Tripura have raised concerns over alleged irregularities in the delimitation process for the upcoming TTAADC village committee elections,demanding representation proportional to their population.
In a memorandum submitted to the BDO of Dasda RD Block,the newly resettled Bru community expressed surprise at a Tribal Welfare Department notification dated April 24 regarding delimitation for the 2026 village committee elections under the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC).
They noted that the process appeared to be restricted to rotating reservations for women’s seats from even-numbered to odd-numbered constituencies in descending order.
The residents further alleged that a subsequent notification issued by the Sub-Divisional Magistrate of Kanchanpur,inviting draft proposals,failed to adequately consider the population size of Khasnampara,where Bru families were resettled under the quadripartite agreement signed on January 16, 2020.
According to them,1,056 families comprising 2,686 registered voters have been rehabilitated in the village,yet only two member seats have been proposed for the committee,despite having a larger voter base than several other village committees.
They argued that this could lead to disproportionate representation compared to other areas.
The memorandum also referred to the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Village Committee (Delimitation of Constituencies) Rules, 1994, including amendments up to 2015, stating that these provisions allow authorities to address challenges during delimitation and restructure constituencies based on population norms.
Additionally, the migrants claimed that a decision by the TTAADC Executive Committee on October 31, 2024 to create new village committees for Bru settlement voters ahead of the next elections—has not yet been implemented,even though it was communicated to the Tribal Welfare Department the same day.
The Bru leaders have demanded immediate delimitation in Khasnampara and allocation of seats proportionate to the population before implementing women’s reservation.
Similar concerns have also been raised by Bru migrants residing in Naisingpara and Ashapara settlements.