BY TC News Desk
Agartala, August 03: Allegations of corruption and hindrance in the Jal Jeevan Mission have surfaced against BJP leaders in Bishramganj. Sudhanshu Das Vaishnab, the Pradhan of Bishramganj Panchayat, along with some officials from a club called Sevak-Sangh, are accused of demanding hefty sums of money as commission for development work, according to contractor Jaher Hossain.
Hossain claims that the accused obstructed the construction of a pump house, initially demanding Rs 70-80 thousand, which later reduced to Rs 50 thousand. After the completion of the wall, the contractor was unable to pay the demanded amount, resulting in the suspension of further work on the pump house. As a result, construction work has been stalled for the past three months. Even though the office wants to resume work, the leaders are reportedly preventing them from doing so.
The matter has caught the attention of the local mandal, but the officials seem reluctant to take any action, allegedly following instructions from higher-ups. Notably, the construction of 22 pump houses, costing Rs 6 crore 37 lakh, was awarded to Arun Kanti Dey. These pump houses were allocated for various locations, including the brick kiln area of Bishramganj.
Similar allegations of misappropriation have emerged from other locations, such as the brick kiln area of Aralia in Charilam and Bishramganj. The incident in the brick kiln area of Aralia has been reported to the Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) of Bishramganj’s Drinking Water and Sanitation, as well as the Executive Engineer of Bishalgarh Division.
The situation has raised concerns over the timely completion of the pump house construction in the brick kiln area and the delivery of drinking water services to the local population. The allegations reinforce the perception that development projects are benefiting the BJP leaders rather than the common people.
Authorities are expected to investigate the allegations thoroughly to maintain the integrity and transparency of the Jal Jeevan Mission, ensuring that the intended benefits reach the deserving communities.
