Freshly Laid Road Surface Peels Off Within a Day, Residents Stage Protest Alleging Massive Irregularities in Aralia Panchayat

By Our Correspondent

Agartala, March 3, 2026

Serious allegations of large-scale irregularities have surfaced over a newly constructed road at Khamar Bari under Aralia Panchayat under Charilam Assembly Constituency in Tripura, after the bitumen layer reportedly began peeling off within just one day of completion.Angered by what they described as substandard work, local residents today united in protest and physically removed portions of the damaged asphalt to demonstrate the poor quality of construction.Residents alleged that they had been raising objections for several days, claiming that inferior materials were being used in the construction process. According to them, despite repeated protests, no corrective measures were taken by the concerned authorities or the contractor.“What kind of road loses its pitch layer within 24 hours?” questioned one local resident during the protest.The protesting residents further alleged a complete lack of transparency regarding the project. They claimed, no information has been shared about the source of funding for the road construction.The total sanctioned amount for the project remains unknown to the public.No mandatory project signboard has been installed at the construction site.Government officials have allegedly failed to provide clear answers when approached for clarification.

As per standard government norms, infrastructure projects are required to display a signboard mentioning the name of the scheme, sanctioned amount, executing agency, and duration of work. Residents say the absence of such details has deepened suspicion.Locals have alleged that public funds are being misused in the name of road construction and renovation. Some residents claimed that contractors often have to make payments at multiple administrative and political levels, which ultimately affects the quality of work delivered on the ground.Though these allegations remain unverified, the incident has once again brought the spotlight on public infrastructure monitoring and accountability.Notably, similar protests over government construction projects have frequently surfaced across Tripura, with videos going viral on social media. However, they expressed concern that in many cases, investigations are not visibly initiated.

Findings of inquiries are not publicly disclosed.Allegations, whether true or false, remain unaddressed in the public domain.This, they argue, has led to growing public distrust and widespread discussions online regarding alleged irregularities in development works.The residents of Aralia Panchayat have demanded a thorough and transparent inquiry into the road construction work, including disclosure of project details, funding sources, and accountability of officials and contractors involved.As of the time of filing this report, no official statement has been issued by the concerned department regarding the allegations.Further developments are awaited.

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