BY TC News Desk
Agartala, 6th December 2024: Residents of Ward No. 23 under Agartala Municipal Corporation have raised serious allegations of corruption in road repair work accusing public representatives and contractors of playing a “game of development” at the expense of quality. The locals have called for Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha and Agartala Municipal Corporation Mayor Dipak Majumdar to personally inspect the works.
On Friday, residents voiced their concerns about the poor condition of Dhaleswar Road No. 3. A youth from the area reported that workers had poured pitch on the road on Thursday, but the material was of such low quality that it was coming off the wheels of cars and the shoes of pedestrians. “This shows how low-quality work has been done in the area. Such low-quality work has not been done in the past,” he said.
The councilor of the area Manimukta Bhattacharya was also mentioned by the residents. Despite traveling on this road, the condition has deteriorated to the point where it is nearly impassable. “This work should be stopped immediately. The road is being renovated with the people’s tax money, but if it remains unpassable and money is being siphoned off by contractors and higher-ups, then this road will be of no use,” the youth added.
Residents demanded immediate action, stating that such work does not qualify as development. They urged both the Chief Minister and the Mayor to investigate the matter and ensure that future contracts are awarded only after thorough research. “Otherwise, the people’s money will continue to be looted,” he warned.
For the past few days, similar complaints have been raised about road renovations in various wards, including Chandrapur, Baldakhal and Resham Bagan. Despite these complaints making headlines, there has been no investigation by the government or the corporation chief. “They are tarnishing good governance by embezzling crores of rupees like this,” the youth also added.
