Agartala, Oct 16 (TIWN) A Tripura Minister and a Member of Parliament (MP) from the state on Wednesday alleged that unprecedented corruption and siphoning of public funds had taken place during the 25 year-rule of previous Left Front government.

Addressing the media here, Law and Education Minister Ratan Lal Nath and Lok Sabha Member Pratima Bhowmik said that as per the pre-poll promise of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government all types of corruption and irregularities would be probed and the guilty would be punished.  Nath and Bhowmik''s announcement comes after the vigilance wing of the Tripura Police filed charges aginst former Public Works Department (PWD) and Finance Minister Badal Choudhury, former Principal Secretary (PWD) Y.P. Singh and ex-PWD Chief Engineer Sunil Bhowmik in connection with "misdeeds in implementations of over Rs 638 crore of 13 projects during previous Left Front government in the 2008-09 FY".  Police arrested Sunil Bhowmik on late Sunday night soon after police registered an FIR at the West Tripura Police Station under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and Prevention of Corruption Act.

A police hunt is on to nab Choudhury and Singh.  "The PWD Department of the previous Left Front government in 2008-09 fiscal clubbing 13 projects (five each of bridge and building projects and three road project) implemented at a cost of Rs 638 crore on a cost plus basis (limited up to maximum of 10 per cent of the esteemed cost).  However, Choudhury, Singh (who subsequently become Chief Secretary) and Bhowmik, without consulting the cabinet headed by then Chief Minister Manik Sarkar and the Work Advisory Committee, and violating the official tender process awarded the contracts of these projects to some organisations." Nath told reporters.