Agartala: Days after being accused of amassing assets through his position, Tripura Tribal Welfare Minister Bikash Debbarma finds himself in controversy following a local media expose by “Public Now.” The report alleges that Debbarma used funds from the Rural Development Department to construct boundary walls around his private residence.
According to documents signed by the Executive Engineer of the Rural Development Department’s Khowai Division, an estimated sum of Rs 5 lakh was spent on the construction. The papers show that Rs 4,00,667 was used to purchase materials, with the total cost, including labor, coming to Rs 4,96,387. Subsequently, an additional Rs 4,99,145 was sanctioned for further construction, bringing the total expenditure to nearly Rs 10 lakh.
As soon as the work orders and estimates became public, the Minister faced backlash on social media. EastMojo attempted to contact Debbarma for comment, but he was unavailable.
Earlier, during the recent Tripura Assembly session, Congress MLA Sudip Roy Barman accused Debbarma of rapidly accumulating wealth. Barman alleged that the Minister has multiple properties in his name, while his wife and son secured licenses for petrol pumps in different parts of the Khowai district.
Barman also raised concerns about alleged corruption in a Rs 1,400 crore World Bank project aimed at socio-economic development for Tripura’s tribal communities. He claimed, “The project has become an employment exchange, benefiting a few instead of generating livelihoods for hill residents.”
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