Allegations of Fresh Encroachment Threat Loom Over MBB College Endowment Land, Residents Seek Immediate Govt. Intervention to Save Historic Pond

By Our Correspondent

Agartala, June 27, 2026

Fresh allegations of illegal encroachment have surfaced over portions of the historic endowment land of Maharaja Bir Bikram (MBB) College, with local residents claiming that politically backed attempts are once again being made to occupy government land and a public pond near College Tilla in Agartala.Residents of East Shibnagar, PN Deb Road, near the Health Centre, have appealed to the District Magistrate, Agartala Municipal Corporation, the Mayor and Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha to intervene immediately to protect the government pond and adjoining land from alleged encroachment.

According to local residents, the issue is not new. They allege that during the Left Front regime, settlement rights over portions of the college's endowment land were reportedly granted to certain individuals linked to influential political circles under the names of some Professor, Advocate, Engineer, College Employees and others. Now, they claim, fresh attempts are being made to facilitate illegal settlements on the same land with alleged political support.

Residents further allege that despite repeated complaints, no effective action has been taken to remove encroachments from the MBB College endowment land. They claim that earlier the land has allegedly been occupied in the name of clubs, temples, parks and other establishments, while the administration has failed to prevent further encroachment.

One of the major concerns highlighted by residents is a government-owned pond located behind College Tilla Police Station, where they allege that a portion of the waterbody has already been encroached upon and residential structures have been constructed recently.They also allege that the pond has deliberately been left without renovation or desiltation for years despite repeated representations to government authorities. According to the residents, several petitions have been submitted over the years to the District Magistrate, Agartala Municipal Corporation and other departments seeking restoration and protection of the pond. Copies of earlier representations and official acknowledgements were also shared by the residents.

Residents stated that they had repeatedly approached the local Municipal Corporation representative, Corporator, requesting restoration of the pond. However, they allege that no meaningful action has been initiated.

According to the residents, an attempt was allegedly made last year by some individuals to partially fill the pond after claiming government approval. The effort was reportedly resisted by local people, preventing further encroachment at that time.The residents argue that the pond serves multiple public purposes. Besides helping drain excess rainwater and reducing urban flooding, it can provide water during fire emergencies and plays an important role in maintaining the local ecosystem and biodiversity. They warned that continued neglect could lead to complete disappearance of the waterbody.

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