AGARTALA: Tribal beneficiaries under Hejamara RD Block staged a protest on Thursday, locking the block office gate, alleging non-payment of social welfare allowances for the past four months, from March to June.
Allowance recipients from 21 ADC villages under the block gathered from the morning and submitted a three-point charter of demands to the BDO. Their primary demand was the immediate release of pending allowances along with arrears. They also demanded that allowance funds be disbursed on the 1st of every month going forward, and that beneficiaries be issued ID-linked smart cards enabling withdrawal of allowance amounts from any location.
The protest prompted the Sub-Divisional Police Officer and Sidhai Police Station authorities to reach the spot to manage the situation. Protesters alleged that the CDPO of Hejamara ICDS Department and the Block Development Officer needed to resolve the matter without further delay.
Local MDC Rabindra Debbarma later arrived at the scene, following which protesters submitted their charter of demands to him as well.