Agartala: Tripura Pradesh Congress Committee president Asish Kumar Saha has urged the state government to launch a probe into the deteriorating infrastructure developed under the much-publicized Smart City project in Agartala.
Speaking to the media on Monday, Saha raised concerns over possible mismanagement of funds allocated for the project. He pointed out that the infrastructure, which was promoted as a solution to flood mitigation, failed as water levels rose during recent pre-monsoon showers.
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“If this is the situation during pre-monsoon rainfall, the flooding is likely to worsen during the monsoon season,” Saha warned.
The Congress leader, who recently visited several flood-affected parts of the city, criticized the promises made by the Agartala Municipal Corporation Mayor to keep the city free from floods and water-logging. Despite regular inspections by the Mayor and his team, recent rains have exposed significant flaws in the project’s execution.
“In the name of development, some lights have been installed and minor construction carried out, but the core issue of flooding remains unresolved,” Saha alleged.
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He accused the government of misusing project funds and called for an immediate investigation into the Smart City initiative’s implementation.
Saha also highlighted the hardships faced by thousands of economically weaker residents who suffered heavy losses due to the floods.
At the same press conference, Congress MLA Sudip Roy Barman claimed the state government ignored all Congress recommendations on flood control.
“After last year’s floods, Congress MLAs submitted proposals to strengthen flood protection infrastructure, but all were disregarded. If it rains, flooding has become an unavoidable reality in both rural and urban areas,” Roy Barman said.