Prakash Karat is a member of the CPI(M) politburo. (File photo)
Agartala:
Senior CPI(M) leader Prakash Karat said the reintroduction of the old pension scheme will be the first decision the left-congress alliance will take when it takes power in Tripura.
Speaking at an election rally in Khayerpur in West Tripura district on Sunday, he said the new pension scheme was not introduced in Tripura as long as the Left Front government was in power in the state.
“It was the BJP that introduced the new pension scheme in the state after coming to power in 2018,” he said.
The first decision the Left Congress will take after taking power is to bring back the old pension plan, the CPI(M) politburo member said.
“In Himachal Pradesh, the Congress won the elections and reintroduced the old pension scheme for the workers as promised. The same will be done in Tripura when the left-wing Congress forms the next government,” he said.
The Left Front and Congress have pledged to reintroduce the old pension scheme in a bid to win votes from Tripura’s 1.88 lakh government employees.
Karat claimed that the BJP has failed to deliver in the northeastern state and said, “The law and order situation has deteriorated in the state with 707 rape cases registered between January 2020 and December 2022. The state has a bad name earned in crime against women.” The CPI(M) leader claimed that the BJP spent huge amounts of money to win the elections.
“People must remain vigilant about how the BJP is spending money. We must thwart the trick to restore democracy in the state,” he said.
Mr Karat claimed that a victory for the opposition alliance in a small state like Tripura has national implications, saying: “It will certainly boost the nationwide movement to protect democracy and secularism, which are now under threat.” Congress secretary general Mukul Wasnik and CPM leader Pabitra Kar, who is taking part in the meeting in Khayerpur, also addressed the meeting.
The vote will take place on February 16 and the votes will be counted on March 2.
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