BJP leader Devid Debbarma refutes TTAADC EM Kamal Kalai’s claim that Tripura earns ₹5,000 crore royalty from ONGC, calling it misleading. Official data shows ₹349.56 crore in three years. Political tensions rise over revenue, autonomy, and tribal rights.
In a sharp political exchange in Tripura, BJP state secretary Devid Debbarma on Thursday strongly criticised Journalist-turned-Politician and TTAADC Executive Member (Health, Tourism and Tribal Welfare) Kamal Kalai for what he described as “misinformation and factually incorrect claims” regarding the amount of royalty revenue the state government receives from the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC).
The controversy emerged after Kamal Kalai, while addressing a party meeting in his constituency, claimed that the Government of Tripura earns nearly ₹5,000 crore in revenue from the TTAADC (Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council) region, especially through royalty from ONGC operations. He alleged that despite this enormous revenue generation, the state transfers only ₹500 crore to TTAADC for administrative purposes.
His speech, originally delivered in Kokborok and later telecast on Kok Tripura TV, also highlighted what he described as the deprivation faced by tribal residents of the ADC areas.
Kamal Kalai said
“There are a total of ten Autonomous District Councils in the entire Northeast. All of them, except TTAADC, have the power to allot land. The Tiprasa Accord is a struggle for land rights. We do not want the poor in our society to depend only on shifting cultivation. We want to empower them with better education, improved services, and the best possible facilities.”
He further alleged that tribal communities living in TTAADC areas are being denied their rightful share of development resources and administrative autonomy.
However, his remarks sparked immediate criticism from the BJP leadership, with Devid Debbarma accusing Kalai of spreading “baseless, irresponsible and misleading” information.
Debbarma said:
“I just saw the speech of Kamal Kalai, EM–TTAADC, circulating on social media, where he claimed that the State Government received ₹5,000 crore from ONGC as royalty. This statement is completely false and misleading.”
Refuting Kalai’s claims, Debbarma clarified that natural gas discovered in India is the property of the Government of India, and that the state government only receives a limited share in the form of royalty and certain tax components from ONGC’s operations in Tripura.
To reinforce his argument, Debbarma released the official three-year financial breakdown of the state’s earnings from ONGC:
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₹85.41 crore in 2020–21
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₹93.98 crore in 2021–22
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₹169.75 crore in 2022–23
The combined total of ₹349.56 crore, according to Debbarma, is significantly lower than the ₹5,000 crore figure mentioned by Kalai.
Debbarma stated:
“Tripura received ₹349.56 crore from ONGC over the last three financial years, including royalty and lease/license fees. A fair share of this amount is further allocated to TTAADC as per financial norms.”
“Such irresponsible and baseless statements from an elected representative reflect a serious lack of accountability and awareness. Leaders must speak with facts and responsibility, not fiction.”
He further asserted that truthful communication and transparent governance are essential for sustainable development.
“Truth and transparency are the real pillars of development,” Debbarma added.
The political back-and-forth has triggered fresh debate over revenue-sharing mechanisms, the financial empowerment of the TTAADC, and the broader political narrative surrounding tribal autonomy and economic development in Tripura.
While the state government asserts that it follows all financial rules in transferring funds to the autonomous council, TTAADC representatives have repeatedly complained of insufficient support and limited administrative powers.
Observers note that the dispute reflects growing political competition within tribal regions ahead of upcoming political cycles, where issues of land rights, resource distribution, administrative autonomy, and tribal empowerment are expected to take center stage.
As the controversy intensifies, both parties are holding firm to their positions. The BJP maintains that Kalai’s claim is a deliberate distortion aimed at misleading tribal voters, while TTAADC leaders are accusing the state of withholding adequate funds and failing to honor the spirit of decentralised governance.
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The issue is expected to dominate political discussions in the coming days, with demands for clarity, transparency, and audited financial data likely to increase.
