Bribery Scandal at Tupkhana: Former GP President and Secretary Accused of Extortion

Corruption spares no one, not even the poorest. On 18 March, residents of Tupkhana gathered at the office of the Cachar District Commissioner (DC) to protest against alleged extortion by former GP President Mia Khan and GP Secretary Ujjal Paul. The duo is accused of taking money from villagers in exchange for access to government welfare schemes like the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) and Individual Household Latrines under the Swachh Bharat Mission.

A group of affected villagers approached the DC office in Silchar, demanding an immediate inquiry and action against the accused officials. They alleged that Khan and Paul collected between Rs 20,000 and Rs 30,000 from PMAY beneficiaries, promising them full benefits of the housing scheme.

Despite making these payments, many villagers have not received the final instalments required to complete their homes. Others claimed they were forced to pay bribes ranging from Rs 500 to Rs 1,000 just for verification of their applications under the Swachh Bharat Mission. The locals urged the district administration to ensure that rightful beneficiaries receive their due benefits without falling prey to corruption.

The residents submitted a formal memorandum detailing their complaints. A section of the memorandum reads: “Recently, in the name of registration of beneficiaries under PMAY-(U)/2.0, the Ex-GP President Mia Khan has taken Rs 5,000–10,000 from applicants and Rs 25,000–30,000 from those already allotted houses. Altogether, the GP Secretary and the former President have allegedly collected Rs 30–35 lakh from the villagers.”

Following the submission of their complaint, the protesters addressed the media, sharing their struggles. One of the affected villagers, Nurjahan Begam, revealed how her house under PMAY remains incomplete due to corruption.

“Panchayat President Mia Khan gave me a home under PMAY and then took Rs 25,000. After that, he never gave me the final instalment of the scheme. Now my house is half-built, and I don’t know if it will ever be completed,” she said. She further mentioned that despite seeking help from various local leaders and organisations, no one came forward to support her.

Another resident, Ashiq Uddin, stated, “A daughter of mine got a house under the scheme. We first received Rs 1 lakh, then another Rs 90,000. But we had to pay Mia Khan Rs 18,000. They said it was needed for office work, but we don’t know where the money actually went. They took money from everyone.”

Surujul Ali Barbhuiya, another protester, voiced the collective demand for justice, saying, “We have come to the DC office because we want the district administration to ensure that beneficiaries receive their rightful benefits legally. Those responsible for corruption must be punished so that such exploitation does not happen again in our village.”

Government schemes like PMAY and Swachh Bharat Mission are designed to uplift the underprivileged, providing them with basic necessities such as housing and sanitation. However, corruption at the local level continues to deprive beneficiaries of their rights. Officials are not authorised to demand money for these schemes, and such practices amount to bribery. With their complaint now in the hands of the administration, the residents of Tupkhana await justice, hoping their voices will not go unheard.