Agartala, July 8: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday strongly opposed the Left-sponsored strike scheduled for June 9, urging citizens to reject what it called an “unproductive” move. Addressing the media at the BJP state headquarters, party Vice President Papia Datta criticized the CPI(M) for its repeated reliance on strikes, calling them political theatrics.
“CPI(M) was in power till 2018, and even then, they frequently organized strikes. These theatrics became a laughing stock for the public,” said Datta. She emphasized that since the BJP came to power, Tripura has seen significant development without the need for public agitation.
Highlighting achievements over the past seven years, Datta pointed to infrastructure growth, noting that the number of national highways has increased to eight, while Tripura is now connected by 20 express trains and 16 flights. “All this progress happened without any street protests,” she said.
Datta also underscored various welfare initiatives, especially for workers. She highlighted the revision of minimum wages for tea garden workers and the launch of the ‘Mukhyamantri Tea Workers Scheme’, which provided land deeds, ration cards, and housing under PMAY.
For construction workers, financial support measures include ₹25,000 for marriage, ₹28,000 for maternity benefits, ₹2.1 lakh for funeral assistance, and death compensation of up to ₹24 lakh. The TBOCWW Board disbursed ₹219.80 crore in 2024–25, and over 16,000 unorganised workers were registered on the e-Shram portal. More than 20,000 patients also received health services under the ESI scheme.
The government has eased restrictions on women’s working hours and taken steps to register gig workers while implementing national labour codes. “The strike will fail. People will continue their daily routine,” Datta added confidently.
