A war of words has erupted between the ruling BJP and the opposition CPIM in Tripura, after former Chief Minister and CPIM Politburo member Manik Sarkar criticized the BJP-led State Government alleged extravagant expenditures during the Tripura Tourism Promo Fest-2024.
Referring to media reports relating Sarkar’s statement, Tourism Minister Sushanta Chowdhury vehemently denied allegations and highlighted the growth in the Tourism sector over years after BJP came into power in Tripura in 2018. He also revealed the actual expenditure incurred at the Promo Fest held in Agartala.
Notably, Manik Sarkar, during a programme in Agartala on December 27, accused the BJP-led government of spending crores of rupees in the guise of organizing events such as Durga Puja, Kali Puja, and Promo Fest-2024.
The former Chief Minister alleged that Rs. 7 crore was spent in a single night on a musical concert at Swami Vivekananda Maidan in Agartala. He also questioned the accountability of ministers, hinting at their participation in late-night celebrations.
Notably, popular playback singer Shreya Ghosal performed at the Maidan recently as part of the Tripura Tourism Promo Fest-2024. The State Tourism department organized the event. Soon after the programme, speculations over the expenditure incurred ran high.
Manik Sarkar racked up the issue and targeted the ruling party over the expenses. However, the Tourism Minister hit back at the veteran CPIM leader.
In a strongly worded response at a press conference on Saturday, Sushanta Chowdhury dismissed Sarkar’s claims as baseless, calling them politically motivated and lacking factual evidence.
The Tourism Minister accused Sarkar of deliberately misrepresenting facts to tarnish the image of the BJP government. He claimed the Promo Fest-2024 had significantly boosted Tripura’s tourism sector compared to the “negligible efforts” during the Left Front’s rule.
Highlighting the success of Promo Fest-2024, the Tourism Minister alleged that the CPIM was struggling to digest the event’s public appreciation and widespread popularity.
He also claimed some CPIM leaders had even sought passes for their families to attend the festivities.
Chowdhury directly challenged Sarkar to substantiate his claim of Rs. 7-crore expenditure, asserting that the actual expenditure would not exceed Rs. 1.5 crore.
He pointed out that the central government provides Rs. 80 lakh annually for organizing festivals and fairs, emphasizing that the Promo Fest had been conducted within reasonable financial limits.
Sushanta highlights growth in State Tourism
In this connection, the Tourism Minister also compared the tourist footfalls in Tripura and revenue collection during the Left reign and BJP rule since 2018 in the State.
Chowdhury said, the state recorded 18,69,376 domestic tourists and 1,79,404 international tourists during the Left Front regime from 2013 to 2018. He said, despite a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of tourists increased to 21,90,362 domestic tourists and 4,29,828 international tourists following the formation of the new government in 2018.
Talking about the revenue collected, the Tourism Minister said, revenue collection from the tourism sector had significantly increased, rising from Rs 15.52 crore during the Left regime to Rs 31.25 crore after 2018.
The Minister also criticized the Left government’s legacy, saying that the CPIM lacked any coherent plan to promote tourism during its long tenure in Tripura and had reduced the Tourism Department to a tool for party propaganda through cultural programs.
Chowdhury claimed the BJP government had transformed the State Tourism Sector, creating a conducive environment for tourism development. He asserted that the Tourism Department will keep on organizing such events to popularize Tripura as a favoured tourist destination.