Agartala : Tripura has decided to hand over seven more departments to the tribal autonomous district council as part of efforts to provide more autonomy to tribals, a minister said here on July 28.

'Earlier we had given five departments to the TTAADC (Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council). Now we have decided to give seven more to the autonomous body,' Tripura Tribal Welfare Minister Aghore Debbarma told reporters.

'The Left Front government has been committed to all round socio-economic development of tribals,' he said. Tribals constitute one third of Tripura's 3.5 million of population.

The politically important TTAADC was formed under the sixth schedule of the Indian Constitution in 1985. The TTAADC is the most powerful self-governing body among the existing 16 autonomous district councils (ADCs) in northeast India facilitating the socio-economic development of tribals, who make up 27 percent of the region's total population of around 40 million.

Of the 16 ADCs, six are in Manipur, three each in Assam, Meghalaya and Mizoram and one in Tripura. In Manipur, tribals have been protesting for the past few months demanding more power to the six tribal autonomous district councils in the northeastern state.

Debbarma said the 12 departments handed over to the TTAADC in Tripura include education, health, agriculture, fisheries, animal resource development, social welfare, social forestry, cultural affairs, cooperative (partial) and panchayat (partial).

The ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist)-led Left Front stormed back to power in the 30-seat TTAADC in June for the second consecutive term.

Tribals have been on a series of movements, including road blockades, in Manipur since April 14 demanding more financial and administrative powers for the six ADCs. The stir was led by the tribal student and youth organisation All Naga Students' Association, Manipur (ANSAM).