Ex-Tripura CM accused of blocking drain work, mayor warns of legal actions

Former Tripura Chief Minister and senior Pradesh Congress leader Samir Ranjan Barman has been accused of obstructing ongoing construction work of a covered drain being carried out by the Agartala Municipal Corporation (AMC) in front of his residence in Agartala to mitigate from the flood situation. 

Speaking on the matter, Mayor of Agartala Municipal Corporation, Dipak Majumder, said that the drainage system in Agartala city has seen significant improvement. The AMC, in coordination with the PWD and Agartala Smart City Limited, has undertaken extensive efforts to construct proper covered drains to prevent waterlogging during the monsoon season. 

“Construction work for covered drains is being carried out rapidly across Agartala. We have set a target to complete the work before June or July, which marks the beginning of the rainy season. However, in some areas, we have observed that certain influential individuals are hindering the work and preventing labourers from carrying out their duties,” Majumder said.

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“It is very unfortunate that former Chief Minister Samir Ranjan Barman allegedly obstructed engineers and workers from continuing the work in front of his house. I am unaware of the reason behind his actions. Regardless, we are committed to completing the work on time, and legal action will be taken against anyone—no matter who they are—if they attempt to obstruct public development projects,” he added.

The Mayor also issued a stern warning, emphasising that any attempts to disrupt public infrastructure work will not be tolerated.

As of now, there has been no response from Samir Ranjan Barman, who is also the father of former minister and Tripura Congress MLA Sudip Roy Barman.