AGARTALA, Jan 4 (TIWN Exclusive): Another stark reality of rampant corruption spreading through the echelons of Tripura' administration has come to light recently.There has been no progress in the investigations of vigilance cases against 134 officers of Tripura government.A top vigilance department official told TIWN that there efforts to unearth details of corrupt practices pursued by these 134 officers have been checkmated by the party headquarters at 'Melarmath'."Whenver we start investigations into any of these cases, we get telephone calls asking us to go slow," the official said on condition of anonymity.None of the 134 vigilance cases pending against officers from the rank of BDOs to senior Secretaries have been carried to the logical culmination. The Vigilance department has been asked to go slow in the cases because these officers have been booked in cases that involves substantial siphoning of development funds to party coffers under a variety of guises. Manik Sarkar turned himself as the sole cash cow for CPI-M party nationally as Tripura CPI-M sponsoring and donating crores of ill gotten funds to organize events like recently held CPI-M plenus session at Kolkata.

The tactics adopted is not to give a final report -- once that is done, the corrupt officer can no longer be controlled by the party."The idea is to go slow and ensure there is no movement or progress in the cases," he added.

"So the cases are kept hanging but the officers are encouraged to go on as usual and raise funds for the party," the vigilance department official said. 

Tripura's CPI(M) has turned out to be the main fund raiser for the party centre, what with their ouster from power in West Bengal and Kerala.

Manik's contribution of 3 crores for the CPI(M) plenum in Calcutta -- the money has been transferred from Tripura to Calcutta through a well established hawala channel via Bangladesh.

The desperation to meet central party targets is showing on the state's CPI(M) unit -- and that is spawning corruption at all levels.

"Corrupt officers are the key to the CPI(M) fund raising system. A former Chief Secretary is said to be still involved in such activities even after his posting as a secretary in the Union government," the vigilance official said.

"He still gets his cut because he ensures big schemes from his department are given to Tripura ," the official  added.

In future, its very likely that many Tripura Ministers and State Govt functionaries will head towards jail if proper investigation is done by High Court or Central investgating agencies.

In the meantime, new brand of communism fueled by corruption, scam money running the wheels of Manik's Government.