Agartala, August 23, 2023 – In a fervent protest staged outside the Directorate of Tribal Welfare department, Gurkhabasti here in Agartala city, the Tripura CPIM’s Tribal Students Union (TSU) general secretary Sujit Tripura expressed outrage over the prolonged delay in the disbursement of stipends to tribal students. Despite repeated assurances from the department, tribal students have been left without their stipends for an entire year, according to Tripura.

“We have submitted deputations four times, and each time, the Director of the Tribal Welfare department has promised that the stipends will be credited ‘today or tomorrow.’ However, the reality is that our students have been deprived for an entire year,” Tripura stated while speaking to media persons on the sidelines of sit-in-demonstration in front of the Directorate on Wednesday noon.

Tribal students, particularly the ‘Tiprasa’ community, rely on these stipends to pursue their professional degree courses. With the academic year about to start, the students are in a precarious position due to the delayed disbursement of funds. Additionally, Tripura revealed that the department has been accused of pressuring students at NIT, Agartala, to repay excess stipends deposited into their accounts. Failure to do so, they have been warned, could jeopardize their academic pursuits.

Frustrated by the lack of action, the TSU has resorted to a sit-in-demonstration outside the Directorate of Tribal Welfare. Tripura questioned the motives behind such prolonged delays, despite the department’s repeated promises of imminent stipend disbursement.

“In this month alone, we have submitted three deputations, and each time, the Tribal Welfare department officials claim the stipends will be credited within a week. Yet, no concrete steps have been taken to address the welfare of tribal students. Instead, students pursuing higher education at NIT, Agartala, are being threatened with repayment demands,” Tripura lamented.

The TSU Secretary declared that they would continue their sit-in-demonstration until the Director of the Tribal Welfare Department assures them that stipends will be disbursed by the end of August. Tripura emphasized the urgency of the situation, with over 500 affected students seeking redress from the department.

The situation remains tense, and students are demanding swift action and accountability from the Tribal Welfare department to ensure the financial stability of tribal students pursuing higher education.