CPI(M) MLAs on Thursday accused Tripura environment and forest minister Mevar Kumar Jamatia of being involved in land scams.
Mevar Kumar Jamatia is IPFT general secretary and represents the Asharambarai constituency of Khowai district.
The IPFT is an alliance partner of the BJP-led Tripura government.
The CPI(M) MLAs raised the issue in the state assembly and demanded an investigation of the forest minister’s involvement in the land scam.
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The assembly was adjourned temporarily over serious charges of land grabbing by Jamatia.
They said that Jamatia had illegally grabbed large tracts of government land under the forest department.
The MLAs came to the floor of the assembly and demanded that Tripura chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb issue a statement on this issue.
Jamatia in defence said that if anyone could prove his connection in the land scam, he would resign from the cabinet.
Finally, the speaker of the Tripura Legislative Assembly, Rebati Mohan Das adjourned the assembly for ten minutes.
CPI(M) MLA Badal Choudhury said, “Under the Forest Rights Act, forest lands are leased to poor tribal families, who have no land or permanent source of income. Mevar Jamatia demanded land in the forest area of Khowai district by making use of this law.”
Choudhury claimed that the district magistrate of Khowai had sent the application to the revenue office, saying that the land should be given to the minister in accordance with the appropriate law.
“Jamatia is not entitled to land as he is not landless. His wife was a government employee. The manner in which the land was given to the minister is illegal,” he said.
CPIM MLA Tapan Chakraborty said, “It is a matter of disgrace for the entire cabinet that a minister is embroiled in a scandal. The chief minister should order an investigation to get to the bottom of the matter.”