AGARTALA, July 5 (TIWN): Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar on Tuesday held developmental meeting at DM office Agartala along with other high officials. DM West Millind Ramteke, Urban Development Minister Manik Dey, Principal secretary GSG Ayyangar were also present there. Chief Minister didn’t allow media personage for long there, as West Tripura’s development is yet under stoppage. Urban Development Minister Manik Dey is holding the position in cabinet since last 3 years but he has miserably failed to bring a minimum development inside West Dist. Also Govt. has failed to solve minimum problems of Agartala City although Modi Govt. is trying to develop the city with own initiative. However, Minister Manik Dey is holding various positions in cabinet, but his all departments are in poor shape due to massive corruptions held in last few years.

Power Dept., Transport Department, Urban Development and Rural Development---all departments are left in disable conditions under his Ministry since last 5 years.The NH-44 across West Dist. has gone in its worst shape and water logging problem fueled by the deplorable shape of waste-management has turned Agartala City into a Garbage point.

However, AMC is also gripped into huge corruption. During the Budget counter speech held on June 30,  AMC Mayor Prafullajit Sinha placed vivid explanation about the performance of 2015-2016 and also placed the budget for the year 2016-17.  Mayor claimed about the completion of JNNURM’s (Jawharlal Nehru Urban Development Mission) of Rs. 102.22 crores, which was sanctioned for Storm Water Drainage system. But in reality there is no sign of proper drainage yet arranged in Agartala city. With a few splash of rain the city dupes into water and waistlevel-water is very common for Agartala City.

Whereas West Bengal, Andra Pradesh, Gujrat, Maharasthra have completed the project long back in the year 2012, Tripura is suffering from water logging condition after every rain-splash. But surprisingly, in AMC Budget it has been shown that in the year 2015-16 the work has been completed almost.

Whereas with a historical moment PM Modi  inaugurated the second round of SMART City project,on the occasion of 1 year completion of SMART City project, Tripura Urban Development Minister seems  not interested in this issue.

Although, Modi said, “Cities have the ability to digest/absorb poor people and that is why people from villages migrate to cities in large nos. There was a time when urbanisation was considered as a problem but I think urbanisation must be considered as an opportunity”, but for Tripura Urban Development Minister being pessimistic about development is busy in looting central funds and just blame the Prime Minister for “Not Sanctioning Funds”.

Reportedly, launching the execution of smart city project for 20 cities selected in the first round, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has set the plan rolling today in Pune. But talking to Minister Manik Dey on that same day over phone told TIWN, “I don’t know anything about this issue, also I am not informed about any kind of video conference with PM Modi”. Minister Manik Dey also showed his silent attitude towards the planning and initiative of Tripura Govt. to convert Agartala into a SMART City. Agartala has been however selected under the 13 top urban cities which are now ready to be converted into SMART Cities. 

But at the beginning Manik Dey showed so much of interest in this SMART City project, but presently he is in the mood to escape fromSMART City project. The central Govt. announced that Agartala city has been selected among top 13 SMART Cities and also announced that  the State-Central will share 50 : 50 of the SMART City budget.

Immediately after the announcement about funding, in  a conference led by Urban Development Minister Manik Dey, he told media that the state govt.of Tripura is unhappy about the 50 percent fund sharing proposal of central govt..

A total of 83 projects launched under the Smart Cities Mission across the country on Saturday.  But it seems that Tripura has a very poor future in SMART City status, as the Urban development Minister, PWD Minister has took a U-turn to make Agartala a SMART City.

In this situation, how far the review meetings on developments of West-District will be fruitful it’s to be seen.