Agartala:
Former Tripura Chief Minister and sitting Lok Sabha MP Biplab Kumar Deb on Thursday underscored his development initiatives in the state while launching a sharp attack on the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government in neighbouring West Bengal, accusing it of economic mismanagement and governance failure.
Addressing media persons in Agartala, Deb highlighted his record of utilising funds under the Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) during his tenure as both Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha member. He said that over the past three years, he had sanctioned development projects worth more than ₹14 crore across Tripura. These projects, he added, included water treatment plants, medical infrastructure, ambulances, open gyms and other public utility facilities. “The focus has always been on people-centric development that directly benefits common citizens,” Deb said.
He further informed that financial assistance amounting to ₹32 lakh was arranged from the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund for 14 beneficiaries facing urgent medical and personal crises. Deb also referred to his parliamentary contributions, noting his role in presenting the report titled Evidence before the Select Committee on the IBC Amendment Bill, 2025 in the Lok Sabha.
Shifting focus to West Bengal, the senior BJP leader launched a scathing critique of both the current TMC government and the earlier Left Front regime. He alleged that decades of misrule had pushed the state into deep economic distress. Dismissing the TMC’s slogan “Maa, Maati, Manush” as hollow, Deb claimed that West Bengal’s contribution to the national revenue had fallen drastically from nearly 30 per cent to single digits.
He further alleged that per capita debt in the state has risen to ₹2.52 lakh, while per capita income stands at around ₹1.29 lakh, placing a heavy financial burden on citizens. Deb also highlighted the closure or relocation of nearly 7,000 industries, which he claimed has forced around 1.5 crore youths to migrate to other states in search of employment.
Raising concerns over law and order, Deb alleged that poor investigation standards have kept conviction rates in single digits. He concluded by stating that growing public dissatisfaction in West Bengal mirrors the political change once witnessed in Tripura, signalling a broader demand for change.
