BY TC News Desk
Agartala, 29th January 2025: The Sonamura Nagar Panchayat is embroiled in a scandal involving financial corruption and unauthorized development work. Influential public representatives have allegedly initiated construction projects before the official tender process, leaving the residents of Sonamura, a peripheral city of the state, in disbelief. The city authorities have been unable to provide satisfactory explanations, with elected commissioners pointing fingers at each other.
The incident has been the talk of the town for the past few days, with citizens expressing their anger in markets and public spaces. The controversy began in the middle of this month when the Sonamura Nagar Panchayat called for tenders for 33 development construction works through advertisements in several newspapers. The projects included the Madhuban crematorium and a dumping station in the Khedabori area, with a total budget of approximately Rs 65 lakh. Each component of the projects, such as the wall, furnace, and roof of the crematorium, was listed as a separate tender.
However, it has come to light that construction work had already commenced almost a month before the tender process. The work is reportedly being carried out by individuals close to an influential commissioner and a relative of a high-ranking city official. Local residents and workers have confirmed that the Madhuban crematorium project began before the tender was issued.
The alleged tender scam has prevented many willing ruling party contractors from participating in the process. They claim that the tender notice was not displayed on the city office’s notice board as required. Frustrated contractors approached Riten Jamatia, the city panchayat engineer, but he was unable to provide satisfactory answers. A commissioner, who chairs the city’s development work committee, complained that he was not informed about the projects. He alleged that the chairman, vice-chairman, and influential commissioners made decisions without consulting him.
Contractors also pointed out that a development project at Dashami Ghat in Sonamura was completed without a tender a few months ago, at the chairman’s discretion. These incidents have led to widespread belief that the Sonamura Nagar Panchayat has become a hub of corruption, controlled by a group of influential elected representatives.
When approached for his reaction, Engineer Riten Jamatia fled upon seeing journalists’ cameras. Local journalists are continuing to investigate the scandal and financial corruption within the Sonamura Nagar Panchayat, promising to reveal more information in due course.
The citizens of Sonamura Nagar are calling on the state’s Chief Minister, known for his clean image, to address the ongoing scandal. They demand accountability and transparency from their elected representatives to restore trust in the city’s governance.
