Bandh in poll-bound Tripura, security alerted

Agartala, Feb 18: Barely a year before the assembly polls thepolitical climate in Tripura is warming up over the issue ofdistribution of job among unemployed candidates in the educationdepartment.

At least four persons, including the headmaster of agovernment-aided school, were arrested here and in Sonamura in westdistrict for their alleged involvement in taking bribe from the jobseekers.

This provided the opposition Congress a stick to beat the rulingCPI(M)-led Left Front government with ahead of the 2008 elections.

The Congress and its student wing, the NSUI, went hammer and tongsat the front government campaigning against the alleged scam.

However, the Left Front too did not remain silent and began countering the allegations.

The Congress and NSUI alleged that those arrested in connectionwith the distribution of appointment letters against huge amount, wereclose to the Education Minister as well as a number of ministers. ButChief Minister Manik Sarkar, known as a clean man,did not make anystatement so far which, according to the opposition, 'proved clearly'the nexus of ministers with the corrupt persons.

The CPI(M) and its student wing, the SFI, however, maintained thatthe propaganda resorted to by the opposition Congress and its allies,were totally false as their main objective was to create a disturbancesin this peaceful north eastern state.

Both the ruling front and opposition, mainly the Congress, werebusy making the job issue a major one as the assembly elections to 60seats are nearing.

The NSUI had given a 12-hour state-wide Tripura bandh tomorrow toprotest the alleged police attack on the activists here last Thursdayand demanded a statement from the chief minister in regard to the jobscam, during submission of charter of demands to the state ChiefSecretary.

While the NSUI had been trying to make Monday's strike a grandsuccess, its opponent, the SFI was also not lagging behind and startedappealing to the people to foil the bandh called "on the basis of falseallegation" and aimed at creating disturbances.

Before the issue of distribution of government jobs, both theruling and opposition parties were engaged in claiming that a largenumber of supporters' families had been joining their respective ranks.

The Congress and the NSUI accused the ruling party of cheatingunemployed persons. They also alleged that the ruling front was engagedin doing so to "only select its cadres and supporters' families".

The opposition demanded cancellation of all appointment lettersissued so far to bring cleanliness in the job policy and a statementfrom the chief minister.

As tension began building up after Thursday's incident between thesecurity forces and NSUI activists, security measures had beentightened throughout the state to avoid any eventuality during thebandh, a police official told UNI.

''We are not going to take any chance and hence all possiblesecurity measures have been taken to foil any untoward incident before,during and after the 12-hour strike,'' officials said.

While bandh supporters have pledged to make the strike a success,the ruling party cadres have promised to ensure a smooth life on Monday.

UNI >