Agartala, 15th October 2026 : A dispute over the transfer of charge at the Drinking Water and Sanitation (DWS) office in Bishramganj has continued even after newly transferred Executive Engineer Goutam Ghosh joined the office on Thursday under police protection. The incumbent Executive Engineer, Subir Das, has reportedly refused to formally hand over charge, citing pending accounts and other departmental matters.
Ghosh’s joining followed an earlier confrontation on Wednesday, when he said he was unable to enter the office despite arriving to assume his new responsibilities. He subsequently informed the higher authorities about the obstruction. By Wednesday evening, an order was issued directing the incumbent to be automatically relieved and instructing Ghosh to join immediately.
Ghosh said he had already been formally released from his previous posting through the online system and was required to join the new post within the stipulated period in accordance with the government’s transfer order. He maintained that he had to comply with the directive issued by the competent authority.
On Thursday, Ghosh confirmed that he had joined the Bishramganj office and assumed his duties in accordance with the order. However, he indicated that a conventional handover had not taken place, describing the process as one of assuming charge under the official directive.
The development has raised questions over the administrative arrangement at the office, as both Ghosh and Das are associated with the post of Executive Engineer, while the formal transfer of responsibilities remains disputed.
Das has reportedly maintained that he would not hand over charge until accounts and other related matters were settled. Ghosh, however, pointed out that his transfer had taken place around one-and-a-half months earlier and that he had been released from his previous position.
Police personnel were deployed during Ghosh’s arrival amid the developments surrounding his joining. Ghosh did not elaborate on the role of the police but reiterated that he had assumed his duties in compliance with the government’s order.
The matter is now likely to require departmental intervention to resolve the disagreement over the formal transfer of charge and ensure the smooth functioning of the Bishramganj DWS office.
