Agartala: Mar 28: Congress legislator Sudip Roy Barman made explosive allegations in the Legislative Assembly regarding land corruption. He claimed that a massive land scam worth approximately ₹10,000 crore is suspected across Tripura. He also alleged that employees from the relevant departments are involved with land mafias. Consequently, he has demanded a CBI investigation into the matter from Chief Minister Professor (Dr.) Manik Saha.
During a press conference in the Assembly today, Mr. Barman stated that on September 18, 2023, the DM of Sepahijala had written to the state government regarding land corruption. The letter highlighted irregularities concerning 1,400 kani of land and named two senior officials from the relevant department who were allegedly involved with land mafias. Surprisingly, just 22 days after sending the letter, the DM was transferred, seemingly as a consequence of raising his voice against the scam. The letter also mentioned that in Sepahijala district, land was transferred without proper documentation, government land was converted for personal use, and allocated land was misrepresented and illegally repurposed. The DM identified Land Record and Settlement Officer Ratnajit Debbarma and Assistant Senior Computer Operator Tapas Chowdhury as being involved in these illegal activities. The DM recommended their immediate removal and investigation. He assured full cooperation in preparing a charge sheet and expressed concerns that the officials might tamper with land records if they learned about the investigation through land mafias.
Mr. Barman claimed that upon learning about the issue, he decided to raise it in the Assembly. However, he was not allowed to speak on the matter, as the department issued a notice excluding the question before the Assembly session began. He alleged that corruption has spread across Tripura under the BJP government, and opposition voices are consistently silenced in the Assembly.
He further stated that the land scam has become one of the largest scandals in Tripura, with suspicions of ₹10,000 crore worth of irregularities across eight districts. He urged the Chief Minister to intervene immediately and called for a CBI investigation if there is no weakness in the government’s stance. He accused the BJP government of suppressing those who stand against injustice while allowing individuals involved with land mafias to remain in power. He described the BJP government as corrupt and claimed that the entire state is run by a commission-based system.
