“Tripura Land Scam: Congress MLA Demands CBI Probe into ₹10,000 Crore Corruption”

Tripura ,March 28, 2025-In a dramatic protest against rampant land corruption in Tripura, Congress MLA Sudip Roy Barman caused a storm in the state assembly today. Barman charged that the state government was involved in a huge land scam worth an estimated ₹10,000 crores. Barman alleged that land mafias, in collusion with government officials, have been tampering with land records, illegally transferring lands, and even converting agricultural land into commercial buildings without proper process.

In an assembly press meet, Barman called for a CBI probe into the land corruption charges against top state officials. He specifically targeted Chief Minister Professor (Dr.) Manik Saha, alleging that the latter had turned a blind eye to the issue. The MLA’s accusation was based on a letter dated September 18, 2023, written to the state government by Sipahijala District Magistrate. The letter pinpointed corruption in 1400 mines and implicated two high officials of the relevant department, Ratnajeet Debbarma, the Land Record and Settlement Officer, and Tapas Chowdhury, the Assistant Senior Computer Operator, who were claimed to be facilitating illegal land transactions.

Barman emphasized that the DM had already warned the government against such malpractices but was shifted within 22 days of submitting the letter. He alleged that the rapid transfer was a calculated effort to silence the whistleblower. The land transfers were done without due documentation, and illegal activities, including the conversion of agricultural lands to commercial land and the dispensation of land without permission, were widespread. The letter also referred to such irregularities concerning officials who were directly connected to the land mafias.

The Congress leader also alleged that when he attempted to bring this issue in the assembly, he was not given an opportunity to speak. Instead, he received a notice to leave his question pending even before the session started. Barman accused that with the BJP government, corruption had become rampant in Tripura, while the opposition party was being constantly gagged in the assembly. “Each effort to bring forth allegations of corruption is suppressed, and whoever opposes the corrupt acts of the ruling party is silenced,” Barman claimed.

The MLA also said that the problem was not only confined to Sipahijala but had spread to eight districts of Tripura, entailing a whopping ₹10,000 crore scam. He asked for the Chief Minister’s urgent intervention and sought a CBI probe if nothing was done immediately. Barman claimed that even though the letter had been sent to the Chief Minister, nothing had been done. “The ruling BJP party has been keeping their eyes closed to this huge land scam, and they have continued to shield the land mafias,” he said. Referring to the BJP government as a “tainted government,” Barman charged that it was thoroughly entrenched in corruption and termed the administration as that of “land mafia commissions.” The Congress leader ended by declaring that the corruption was not only confined to one department but had spread to all spheres of governance in Tripura.