Agartala, 19th July 2026: A political controversy has erupted in South Tripura’s Sabroom subdivision following the cancellation of a proposed construction project at the Jai Jagannath Temple near Harina Bazar, which was to be funded under the MLA Development Fund. The issue has triggered a blame game between Leader of the Opposition and CPI(M) MLA from the 40-Sabroom constituency, Jitendra Chaudhury, and members of the temple committee.
According to official sources, funds under the MLA Development Fund were sanctioned for three religious infrastructure projects, including the renovation of the Buddha Temple at Ratanmani ADC Village, the Barkhola Harichand Thakur Temple in Bijoynagar Gram Panchayat, and the construction of a shed at the Jai Jagannath Temple in East Harina Gram Panchayat. An amount of ₹8.38 lakh was approved for the Jagannath Temple project, and the work order was issued to Sabroom-based contractor Liton Dey through the Satchand Gram Development Department.
Sources said Jitendra Chaudhury inaugurated the renovation works at the Buddha Temple and the Barkhola Harichand Thakur Temple on January 12, 2026. The foundation stone for the Jai Jagannath Temple project was also scheduled to be laid on the same day. However, the programme reportedly could not proceed after objections were raised by a section of the temple committee and some local residents.
Following nearly six months of inactivity, the office of the Sabroom Sub-Divisional Magistrate cancelled the construction project on July 16, 2026, the day of Rath Yatra, citing the prolonged delay in execution. The decision has since become the subject of intense political debate in the region.
Jai Jagannath Temple Secretary Sudarshan Chakraborty said the temple committee had heard that funds had been sanctioned but had never received any official communication regarding the project. He claimed the committee had no knowledge of who had coordinated with the MLA or how the project reached the stage of cancellation. Describing the development as unfortunate, he said the lack of clarity had created confusion among the temple authorities.
Responding to the allegations, Jitendra Chaudhury maintained that the funds had been duly sanctioned, the tender process completed, and the work order issued. According to him, officials from the concerned department faced obstruction from some local individuals when they visited the site a day before construction was to begin.
“I had allocated funds for the temple’s development. However, the work could not commence due to obstruction by certain individuals. Government funds cannot remain blocked indefinitely, and since the stipulated time expired, the money had to be returned. A handful of people are now playing politics over the Jagannath Temple and are themselves responsible for preventing its development. I waited for six months, but no one from the temple committee approached me regarding the project,” Chaudhury said.
The cancellation has intensified political tensions in Sabroom, with conflicting claims emerging from the Opposition and the temple committee. The incident has drawn public attention, and further clarity is expected from the administration and other stakeholders regarding the circumstances that led to the project’s cancellation.
