Agartala, Sep 06, 2024, TRIPURA TIMES Desk
Agartala Sep 06: Congress MLA Sudip Roy Barman launched a scathing attack on the Janajati Welfare Department, accusing it of gross financial misconduct in the handling of funds intended for the development and welfare of the state’s indigenous communities.
He alleged that innocent Janajati people are being deprived of the benefits of the Rs 1,400 crore World Bank-sanctioned project due to blatant money laundering. Roy Barman urged Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha to intervene to safeguard the welfare of these communities.
The Congress MLA also questioned the capability of the Janajati Welfare Department in managing such a significant project. His strong remarks came on the final day of a three-day Assembly session on Friday, following a response from Janajati Welfare Minister Bikas Debbarma to a Reference Period Notice titled, "Regarding the progress of TRESP in 23 Tribal-dominated Blocks of Tripura," of Roy Barman.
In his reply, Debbarma informed the House that the World Bank had sanctioned a multi-sectoral project, the "Tripura Rural Economic Growth and Service Delivery Project (TRESP)." He said that a Rs 1,400 crore loan agreement with the World Bank was signed on March 1, 2024, and became effective on March 20, 2024. The project is set to run for six years.
Highlighting various aspects of the TRESP, Debbarma said, "The primary objective of this project is to construct necessary infrastructure, create opportunities for skill development, improve the quality of education, and enhance road connectivity to boost livelihood opportunities in 23 Janajati-dominated blocks across 8 districts of Tripura. Among these 23 blocks, 12 are aspirational blocks."
Seeking clarification on Minister’s reply, Roy Barman claimed that a separate Society was formed for the project, even though the Janajati Welfare Department was designated as the Nodal Department. He also alleged that consultants from outside the state, including places like Andaman, were hired for the project implementation.
"Is our Janajati Welfare Department so incapable or inefficient that it cannot implement the project on its own? Why do we need to hire consultants from other states? Don’t we have our own experts?" Roy Barman questioned.
Continuing his verbal salvos, Roy Barman claimed that the consultancy would be paid Rs 200 crore over three years and that the department would incur additional expenses of around Rs 1 crore per month in salaries. He pointed out that one of the consultants is drawing a staggering salary of Rs 1,75,000 per month.
In light of the situation regarding the alleged misuse of funds, Roy Barman strongly urged Dr. Saha to intervene and put a stop to what he termed "money laundering."