Agartala: An ambitious project to establish a modern crematorium for the residents of the Mohanpur area in West Tripura district—the home constituency of Power Minister Ratan Lal Nath—has reached an impasse due to objections raised by Bangladesh during the final phase of construction. The Mohanpur constituency, strategically located with much of its township and market areas near the zero line of the India-Bangladesh border, requires permission from the neighboring country for new constructions within 150 yards of the zero line as per the border agreement between the two nations.
The project, sanctioned in 2021 amid pandemic restrictions, had already completed over 70 percent of construction when Bangladesh’s border security force raised objections, halting the installation of the electric furnace. “The project has been stalled since the objection was raised, leaving it incomplete,” an official from the Mohanpur Sub-Divisional Magistrate’s office stated.
This crematorium was expected to benefit approximately 40,000 people in the constituency, which has consistently elected Ratan Lal Nath for seven consecutive terms. Nath, who previously won on Congress tickets before joining the BJP in 2018, has overseen significant infrastructure development in Mohanpur since his appointment as a state minister.
Locals noted the notable progress under Nath’s leadership, including improvements in road connectivity, upgraded electricity services, and new street lights, water connections, and housing for the underprivileged under central government schemes. “The development in the constituency is undeniable, but the need for a modern crematorium remains unfulfilled,” a resident remarked.
Sub-divisional administration sources confirmed that efforts are underway to identify an alternative site for the crematorium, which would require restarting the construction process from scratch.
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