Agartala, July 26: The sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) of Ambassa in Dhalai district, Nilimesh Bhattacharya, was suspended on charges of financial irregularities during his earlier tenure as joint resident commissioner in Guwahati Tripura Bhawan and subsequently as SDM (Ambassa). The suspension order was passed by the administrative reforms department.
?I have not received any official order putting me under suspension and I have never indulged in any corrupt practices,? Bhattacharya said.
Official sources here said Bhattacharya had embezzled lakhs of rupees from Tripura Bhawan funds during his tenure in Guwahati. The matter had been investigated by the vigilance department of the state government. ?His involvement was proved beyond any reasonable doubt and hence the decision to suspend him from service,? sources said.
The sources also said action would be initiated against at least 20 other senior officials of the state government, whose involvement in corruption had been proved.
The issue of corruption in the state administration had come to the fore in May, when retired principal chief conservator of forest (PCCF) M.A. Khan was accused of involvement in financial irregularities during his tenure. The allegations were made by junior officials of the forest department. The chief minister impounded all retirement benefits of Khan while an inquiry was commissioned.
Subsequently, commissioner (forests) Rajeshwar Rao conducted an investigation but found no evidence against the retired PCCF. He was then charged with failure to curb corrupt practices among junior officials. His retirement benefits were partially granted but the pension payment remained provisional.
Khan is preparing to file a case in the High Court for the monthly pension due to him.
Another scandal involving at least Rs 6 crore was unearthed in the Dashda rural development block in North Tripura. A CID inquiry found the BDO (Dasda) Khagendra Reang and cashier Pradip Dey to be partners in a crime involving misappropriation of the amount meant for development work and implementation of poverty alleviation schemes in the block.
Reang, who fled the state, is still absconding, while Dey is still in jail.
Official sources said major allegations of corruption had come to the fore in the information department of the state as well. The Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre (EZCC) based in Kohima had sanctioned Rs 1.76 lakh to celebrate the birth anniversaries of Rabindra Nath Tagore and Kazi Nazrul Islam. However, in the subsequent adjustment papers submitted by the officials of the information department, several irregularities were detected.
Sources said the EZCC was aware of the matter. They feared that unless action was taken against the errant officials, flow of funds to the information and culture department from the central body would stop. ?I have received reports about the irregularities and the matter is being investigated at the departmental level, we will definitely take action if anyone is found guilty,? said K.D. Chakraborty, commissioner of the information department.
