Agartala, October 6: In a continued onslaught against the Chief Minister Manik Saha-led BJP government in Tripura, former minister and Congress MLA Sudip Roy Barman accused the state government of massive financial corruption in a press conference on Sunday.
His latest allegation revolves around the alleged illegal allotment of government land to a “handpicked” private hospital, Shija Hospital of Imphal, in exchange for undisclosed financial benefits to certain individuals.
Speaking at Congress Bhavan, alongside Tripura Pradesh Congress president Asish Kumar Saha, Roy Barman highlighted that the plot in question, a sprawling 28-acre area in RK Nagar on the outskirts of Agartala, belonged to the Animal Resources Development (ARD) Department.
He claimed that this valuable land was allocated to the private hospital without a formal tender or any cabinet approval.
“The Chief Minister’s Office facilitated this shady deal, bypassing due process,” he alleged, questioning the transparency and legality of the land transfer.
Roy Barman did not name any individuals directly benefiting from this alleged corrupt transaction, but he pointed fingers at the Chief Minister.
He accused Saha’s administration of operating on a policy of “chanda dou, dhanda lou” (give money, get business), implying that financial kickbacks were involved.
The Congress MLA also suggested that the state government was being run by a select circle, referring to them as Saha’s “brother and friend.”
The former health minister, who resigned from the BJP and rejoined Congress, expressed deep concerns over the allocation of land without a competitive tender process, which he believes is a violation of legal procedures.
“Why was a single private hospital chosen without providing a fair opportunity for other institutions to participate?” Roy Barman questioned, pointing to the lack of transparency in the government’s decision-making process.
Furthermore, he urged political leaders across party lines, including the Leader of the Opposition and former chief ministers, to address whether this allotment constitutes corruption.
“I am not against private investment in the healthcare sector, but it must be done fairly,” he stated, recalling how, during his tenure as health minister, tenders were floated to encourage private hospitals to improve Tripura’s healthcare infrastructure.
This is not the first time Roy Barman has raised allegations against the current administration. In a recent assembly session, he had accused Tribal Welfare Minister Bikash Debbarma and the Chief Minister’s Officer on Special Duty (OSD) of financial corruption.
The BJP, however, has strongly denied these accusations. Just two days ago, the party held rallies across Tripura, including in Agartala, condemning the claims made by both the Congress and the CPI(M).
BJP leaders alleged that the opposition parties are conspiring against the state government by spreading “false and fabricated propaganda” to mislead the public.
With Roy Barman’s continued attacks and the BJP’s equally strong counter-campaign, the political climate in Tripura seems to be heating up further, with corruption allegations now dominating the discourse.
