Northeast Desk, 8th April: Jitendra Chaudhury, the state committee secretary of CPIM in Tripura, has penned a letter to Chief Electoral Officer Puneet Agarwal, urging an immediate halt to the purported politicization of government schemes by the ruling BJP and advocating for appropriate action against Bakul Debi Debnath, the BAC Chairperson of Hrishyamukh R.D. Block under South District.
In the missive, Chaudhury, also the leader of the opposition, alleges that since April 4, 2024, Debnath, in collaboration with local BJP leaders, has been distributing mosquito nets among beneficiaries in various Gram Panchayats within the 37-Hrishyamukh Assembly Constituency of the 2-Tripura East (ST) Parliamentary Constituency. These distributions purportedly occurred in the presence of various Block officials and physicians affiliated with the Hrishyamukh Primary Health Care, with Debnath and BJP leaders allegedly canvassing for the ruling party during the process.
Chaudhury condemns this action as a blatant violation of the Model Code of Conduct, highlighting that the mosquito nets, procured by the Block Authority a month and a half ago to combat malaria spread, should have been distributed impartially and prior to the declaration of Lok Sabha elections. He contends that the delayed distribution, coupled with the overt political campaigning, indicates an intent to leverage government schemes for political gain.
Demanding an immediate cessation of such politicization and urging punitive measures against Debnath, Chaudhury expresses astonishment at the apparent oversight by the BDO of Hrishyamukh Block in permitting these activities during the enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct.
The CPIM leader concludes by reiterating the imperative of fair electoral practices and calls for swift action to rectify the situation, ensuring the integrity of government schemes and electoral processes in Tripura.