AGARTALA, Aug 1 (TIWN): With the proposed investment of Rs 4000 crore by the Centre for the development of National Highway in Tripura has obviously made the people of the state happy. At the same time an atmosphere of fear and anxiety has also arisen in the mind of the people especially because of the fact that the bulk of this Rs 4000 crore to be invested by Ministry of Road Transport and Highway(MoRTH) will be executed by the state PWD . Over the last few years people of Tripura have been witnessing massive looting of Centrally sponsored funds by the so-called 'Honest and Clean(?)' Chief Minister Manik Sarkar led state gov't . As such this time also people are worried that a majority of this fund , if utilized by the state PWD, may be used for raising CPI-M's party fund besides providing a handsome ' commission ' to the corrupt officials of state PWD. Only on July 28 Ministry for Road, Transport and Highway (MoRTH), through an official statement , has declared its plan to invest around Rs 4,000 crore for the development of highways and infrastructure in Tripura. The work will be executed by the state Public Works Department and the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd ( NHIDCL).

"The state has 853 km of National Highways, of which 731 km are with the State PWD and 122 km with NHIDCL," said MoRTH's the statement. The key features of the recent statement of MoRTH are as follows:-

1) Four projects are currently on in the state, with a total length of 147 km and total project cost of Rs 1,162 crore.

2) One project with a length of 24 km and total project cost of Rs 42 Crore is likely to be awarded in next three months, and another 3 projects with a length of 110 km and cost of Rs 470 crore are under planning and various stages of award. These are likely to be awarded in the next one year. 

3)Under the Central Road Fund (CRF), Rs 20.42 crore have been allocated to the state during 2016-17.

4) Twelve projects amounting to Rs 57 crore have been sanctioned under the scheme.

        Four new National Highways have been declared in the state with a length of 388 km which include :-

a)  Agartala - Khowai, which is a new highway with a length of 55 km.

b) Agartala - Udaipur which has 48 km with a cost of Rs 369 crore, being implemented by NHIDCL and due for completion in 2018

c) Udaipur - Sabroom highway which has a length of 74 km and project cost of Rs 498 crore and is due for completion in 2018.

     It is no doubt that since May 2014 PM Modi's Act East Policy has been showing its result in the entire NE regions. And Tripura has been one of the biggest beneficiaries though the state gov't led by its CM Manik Sarkar has always busy I blowing the old cassette of ' Centre's deprivation ' in every issue. However, since 2013 Tripura is going through massive scams unearthed by the gov't's Internal internal audit reports. All these audit reports clearly highlighted that Tripura has made a giant step in the field gov't sponsored Central Fund looting competition along with a few states in the country .

       Major scams unearthed so far in Left Front ruled Tripura since 2013 (List will continue to be much longer) :

1) Looting of Rs 50 crore from MGNREGA fund in which Comrade BDO Bimal Chakraborty, who is the brother of DYFI state Secretary Amal Chakraborty, is the prime accused

2) Rs 40 crore scam on NRHM in Kailashahar

3) Rs 90 crore scam in NH44 construction ( alleged that the construction agreement was given to BRO in Rs 90 crore but it can be completed in Rs 10 crore. Obviously the lions share of this money went to the party in power)

4) Rs 20 crore scam in Rupaichhari R D Block

5) Rs 25 crore scam in Teliamura R D Department

6) Rs 35 crore scam in Kailashahar Horticulture Department

7) Rs 15 crore scam in Agri Superintendent Office at Mohanpur( regarding the buying & distribution of potato seeds).Bijoy Roy, Store Keeper has been suspended

8) Rs 3 crore scam in Bamboo Project( jungle cutting) in Kadamtala

9) Rs 5 crore scam involved in the construction of Kadamtala Hospital

10) Rs 2 crore scam in Tripura Apex Fishery( purchasing of dry fish, limestone, fish food)

11) Rs 2 crore scam in purchase of watermelons plants

12) Rs 1. crore looting in Melaghar R D Block's Golden Jubilee Celebration

13) Rs 1.82crore scam in Melaghar R D Block( Assement Year 2011-12)

14) 1.27 crore scam in Udaipur Municipal Council

15) Rs 5 crore RMSA scam

      Yet , simply to develop road connectivity with the other parts of India MoRTH has come up with huge planned investment. Now when the MoRTH has announced to invest Rs 4000 crore , probably the biggest so far within the target time period , concern is that a vast amount of the said Rs 4000 crore will be executed by the state PWD. Thus, there is an urgent for the Centre to think deeply before this proposed investment. Either it needs to set up a monitoring authority ( impartial one ) to supervise the execution of this entire project of Rs 4000 crore or it will be better if the entire investment is executed by the NHIDCL.