The police fired indiscriminately on MGNREGA workers at Pechartal Block in Unakoti district of Tripura, leaving 15 workers injured. One woman worker was left seriously injured as she was hit by five bullets and is currently fighting for her life at GB Hospital Agartala.
Thousands of MGNREGA workers, mostly tribal, had been demanding immediate payment of the pending wages of last six months as the tribal festivals ‘Biju’ and the Bengali New Year were just round the corner. Initially the authorities assured them that the payments will be made on13th April. On 13 April, when the workers gathered to receive payments, they were informed that the payments will not be given on that day. The angry workers blocked the National highway and were lathicharged by the police. They moved towards the BDO office but were abused by the local CPM leaders, after which the workers became further angry. They rushed to the BDO and CPM offices and the police started firing indiscriminately towards them, firing at least 100 rounds. About 15 persons sustained injury. All the injured were took shelter in Buddha Mot.
In the evening, the CPI(ML) district secretary met the gravely injured woman in the hospital. On 14th April, a 5 member delegation team headed by CPI(ML) Unakoti district secretary Com Joydip Roy, visited the place of incident and met with the families of the injured. The CPI(ML) Liberation demanded: (1) Judicial enquiry of the incident; (2) Bearing of all the treatment expenses of the injured by the state authorities; (3) Termination of the officer who passed the instructions for firing; and (4) Immediate payment of all pending wages of the MGNREGA workers throughout the State.
