Tripura tourism minister challenges ex-CM over misinformation on Rs 7 crore Promo Fest spending

Tripura Tourism Minister Sushanta Chowdhury, on December 28 criticised former Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar for allegedly spreading misinformation over the recently held Tripura Tourism Promo Fest.

Chowdhury challenged Sarkar to provide details of where and how Rs 7 crore was spent in the name of the Promo Fest.  

Tripura recently conducted the Tripura Tourism Promo Fest for the first time to promote the state’s tourism, featuring a performance by singer Shreya Ghoshal during the event’s finale in Agartala.  

The Tourism Minister's statement came in response to former Chief Minister Sarkar’s remarks, “Money has been spent on 'Promo Fest-2024' in the name of fun. Starting from Durga Puja, Kali Puja, crores of rupees are being spent on everything. Rs 7 crore were spent on music in one night at Swami Vivekananda Maidan in Agartala a few days ago. However, I don't know the exact calculations anymore—I am hearing this from a responsible leader. What is going on? I heard the ministers were all sitting till midnight. I don't know if they were dancing.”

Reacting sharply, Minister Chowdhury said that during the CPI(M)'s 20-year rule, the tourism department was practically non-existent in the state and operated as a "lark's den."
  
“Your job was to provide comrade artists to sing leftist songs at various public meetings of the CPI(M). You never took any meaningful steps to showcase the tourism potential of the state to the world. During your tenure, tourists hesitated to visit remote tourist destinations like Jampui, Dumbur, and Chobimura due to fear of extremist activities. Tripura gained notoriety during your rule for incidents such as the murder of your cabinet’s Health Minister Bimal Sinha, the murder of opposition MLA Madhusudan Saha, and the brutal killing of Sadar Sub-Divisional Magistrate Shukhram Debbarma in his office while on duty”, said Sushanta.

Chowdhury accused Sarkar of being unable to tolerate the success of "Promo Fest-2024" and the widespread appreciation it received from the public.  

“If you look into it, you will find that many MLAs of your party obtained passes from the tourism department to send their families to the Promo Fest. In reality, you are criticizing the government’s good work because you cannot accept it. If you had stood on the roof of the 'Duplex Bungalow' where you are residing and observed the city of Agartala that day, you would have seen the enthusiasm among people for the Promo Fest. If you had taken the effort to drive your 'Innova car' around Swami Vivekananda Maidan, you would have understood it better,” Minister said.

He further stated that the CPI(M) has lost its acceptance among the public and that Sarkar has become politically irrelevant.  

“Instead of criticizing the government’s achievements, judge them from a constructive perspective and speak responsibly. You were the Chief Minister for 20 consecutive years. I challenge you—if possible, please present evidence of where and how Rs 7 crore was spent in the name of the Promo Fest,” he added.