Split stares Tripura 'natives'

AGARTALA, March 7: The autonomous district council of the Indigenous People's Front of Tripura faces a split. The IPFT chief, Harinath Devbarma, has demanded the immediate removal of Debabrata Koloy as the council's chief executive member. An IPFT delegation, led by Harinath Devbarma met the Governor, Gen (retired) KM Seth, here yesterday and urged him to pressure the council authorities to arrange for its special session. The members want to raise the issue of Koloys removal in the special session. Eleven members of the council's ruling group signed a memorandum to this effect and submitted it to the Governor. The IPFT, political unit of the NLFT, had won 18 seats of the in the 30 member council in last years elections to the hill autonomous body. The Left Front could retain only 10 seats. The ruling Left Front later said NLFT rebels had terrorised tribal voters and rigged the polls. It said for the first time a foreign agency backed rebel group virtually captured power in the democratic institution by terrorising voters. The front had accused the Centre of inaction and said the Union home ministry was always reluctant to deploy Army to combat insurgency in the state. The council members want Shridam Devbarma , a senior IPFT leader, to take over as the chief executive member of the council. Debabrata Koloy, the members said, was deliberately trying to retain power. The NLFT is reportedly unhappy with Koloy's performance. and has expressed confidence in Devbarma's leadership. At the same time, it is keen on avoiding a split in the IPFT. Earlier, the council members moved a no-confidence motion against Debabrata Koloy at a meeting of the IPFT members at Khumulung council head quarters. The motion was defeated as three of the aggrieved council members abstained from voting on the motion. The state budget for 2001- 2002 has proposed Rs 80 crore for the development of tribal areas autonomous district council. A fund of Rs 60 crore was given to the autonomous council for the current financial year.