KAMALPUR, Jan 14 (TIWN): Funds remained no more a constraint throughout the country for last four to five decades. Especially with the introduction of the open market policy during the P.V. Narasimha Rao opened up a completely new horizon. It remained a matter of debate that, the introduction welcomed many demerits at the same time. However, the implementation of numerous welfare schemes and providing funds to the state governments for development works had become more and more smooth and easy. And as a result, the states like Tripura also experienced the flood of funds to implement and to complete development works. Using this opportunity, by hook or by crook, Tripura entered into the so-called ‘golden regime’ and often it demanded that, the development scenario here in the state remained exemplary throughout the country. But what became inevitable with that funding and development was the random practice of embezzlement, corruption and bribery. Numerous such examples could be traced and showed where public money just got looted and ransacked. And the bribe happy officials extended their hands of co-operation to the corrupt contractors to pocket huge amounts. They never bothered about the quality or guidelines.

Such an instance got found at PWD(R&B) Kamalpur division regarding the work of Halhali-Fatikroy NEC road. Every year, the division invited tender for renovation of the parts of that road under its jurisdiction. The work also included the drainage system and widening, carpeting of the road etc.  Every time, the work got entitled to almost the same contractor at the comparatively lower rates than the previous year. And every year the road got deplorable after the expense of lakhs of crores of rupees. This year too, the same scenario prevailed.  What remained more significant was that, the officials never went to the work site to oversee the works of such an important road. If they bothered to make a visit, the contractor had to arrange for their vehicles and all sorts of amusements. The story not ended up here.

Though it seemed unbelievable, but it became a bare truth in this state that, after every work, the contractor had to pocket huge amount to the billing engineers and clerks. In the case of this work, the same practice became mandatory. Moreover, night parties should also be arranged by the contractor either in the office complex or in the quarter complex of the officials. Hence, neither the contractor nor the officials paid any heed to the quality of the work. And the degraded quality ensured random loot and embezzlement.