AGARTALA, June 8 (TIWN): Massive corruption which has been reported in Tripura Govt's ration distribution programme has now been asked by BJP MLA Asish Saha himself. He has written a letter in this regard to the Chief Secretary as he is unable to answer to the public about the corruption allegation. In the letter written to the Chief Secretary of Tripura, MLA Asish Saha wrote, "Sir it is a matter of deep public concern that State Administration's declared programme of distributing dry food and packets among Covid distreed people and the way the matter is being handled has already created a major controversy.

The discrepancies and obvious irregularities in the matter have already been reported widely in the media as the entire matter smacks of a well-laid plot to fleece money from the exchequer. I, as an elected representative of people, can not remain mute spectator as I am flooded with a lot of queries from people daily and I am in no position to give an appropriate answer to them...........". 

The points raised by MLA Asish Saha are : 

1) A memorundum issued and signed by Additional Secretary to the Govt A.K.Bhattacharya on May 24 said that the State Govt would provide one time financial assistance to 7 lakhs depressed and vulnerable families in the State of Rs. 1000 per family through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). This announcement could have been increased to expand the ambit of assistance to trouble and hassle-free DBT system but this was not so,

2) The State Govt then decided to distribute dry food packets among the depressed and vulnerable section of people and the Additional Secretary AK Bhattacharya by issuing another memorandum dated May 29, sub allocated an amount of Rs. 63.19 lakhs and seventy five thousands only, among 8 district magistrate and collector,

3) But real game started later on as, overriding the DMs and SDMs, who were initially tasked to make the purchase, the State Govt assigned the task of purchase and procurement of Tripura Govt undertaking "The State Cooperative Marketing Federation of Tripura Limited" (MARKFED).  Now what is completely bizarre is that the benchmark prices for bulk-purchase are higher than the wholesale rate of the 7 commodities,

The Prices Highlighted in point number 4

The letter also raised questions on the "Qualities" of the commodities.