CM's note of caution against extortion

Agartala, Jul 16, 2012 : Sounding a note of caution against rampant annual extortion in the name of community 'Durga Puja', chief minister Manik Sarkar has called upon clubs and organizers to ensure that common people bear no grude or grievance while giving subscription to 'Puja' organizers. 'The clubs must keep their 'Puja' budget within reasonable limits so that no pressure is brought to bear on common people who actually pay for the expenses' the chief minister said while addressing people in a blood donation camp organized yesterday by the 'Kunjaban Sevak Sangha', a club close to Circuit House in northern Agartala.

Sarkar also referred to growing allegations of high-handedness and corruption against a section of people who act as middlemen to settle land deals in lieu of hefty sums of money. 'We are aware of allegations against land-sharks who use clubs for fleecing people while settling transactions over land ; this can not go on and all clubs must be on guard against such malpractices that work against the interests of common people' said the chief minister.

Besides organizing a blood donation camp, the office-bearers of 'Kunjaban Sevak Sangha' held a felicitation programme for five meritorious students of the locality who have performed creditably in the exams conducted by secondary education boards. 'It is a matter of pride and happiness that all five students being felicitated are girls but still they are neglected; the girls must come forward to claim their rights' Sarkar said. He also referred to the men-women ratio in Tripura which is better than national average, according to the enumeration of the census conducted last year. 'But it is a matter of concern that sex ratio in the age group of 1-6 is against girls in our state , specially in West Tripura; we must reverse this trend' said Sarkar.