AGARTALA, July 15 (TIWN): A six members delegate led by Indigenous Nationalist Party of Twipra (INPT) president Bijoy Hrankhwal is leaving for Delhi on July 26. They will submit a memorandum comprising a five point charter of demands including empowerment of the tribal council, to the Union home minister and officials.

"Our main demands are direct funding by the Centre. We will also demand transfer of land rights and all departments to the tribal council, including the higher education department," Party president told TIWN.

 "There are many Territorial Council in Northeast states which  enjoy more powers than the tribal council in Tripura and if they are given more power by the Centre, it should also be given to us." 

"We want full land rights should be given to the tribal council, otherwise proper development works could not be carried out. We also want more power and direct funding by the Centre," he said. 

 Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) came into being in the state under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution in 1987 to protect and safeguard the tribals who form one-third of the state's population. 

The council, which is the home to 19 tribals, comprises 67 per cent of state territory. To a question, the leaders said, they were not demanding separate state in the tribal council area and added that a campaign was launched throughout the state to popularise their demands. 

However, Indigenous People's Front of Twipra (IPFT), another tribal party, launched a movement to press for demand of a separate state.  In recently concluded ADC election the party managed to secure   second position in maximum seats.