AGARTALA, Nov 16 (TIWN): The surrendered NLFT militant who has quit their weapons with the aim to lead a peaceful life and rehabilitate themselves, the central government has sanctioned an amount of Rs 55 crore is allegedly not utilized for the given purpose.

It is to be mentioned here that the militants have dropped their weapons to lead a peaceful life to get rehabilitation. However, it is alleged that the amount sanctioned for the rehabilitation is not utilized properly and is being embezzled.

The present state of ethnicity and extremism in Tripura is a recent phenomenon; the state did not witness any major outbreak of communal riots or killings before 1980.

NLFT, which was formed in 1989 with a pledge to fight for a separate tribal homeland, became crippled after three of its factions surrendered under separate arrangements with the central government since year 2000. It’s banned under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act of 1967, and police had framed sedition and serious criminal charges against its top leaders and many cadres for unleashing bloody campaign against troops and non-tribal population. They ruled out possibility of any major bounty to the NLFT except a beneficial rehabilitation package to leaders and cadres mainly based in camps at Khagrachari district of Chittagong Hill Tracts and Sylet region of Bangladesh. 

Instead of improving the life style of the surrendered militants the money is being embezzled by the authorities.

The militants surrendered as they are always on the run due to the counterinsurgency operations going on jointly by different security forces in Tripura. Moreover, as the militants have lost their popular support among the people they are now facing a shortage of funds and recruits but even after surrender they are not getting help for the rehabilitation.