Tripura Contractors Threaten Mass Suicide Over Unpaid Water Project Bills

Agartala: Nearly 150 contractors in Sepahijala district threatened mass suicide unless the state pays them for their work on the Jal Jeevan Mission. They claim the Drinking Water and Sanitation Department owes them for two years of labor. The group completed over 68.5 percent of the project, building pipeline networks and household tap connections across the region.

Many contractors took out high-interest bank loans to fund construction. Debt collectors are now harassing them, and their businesses are failing. They submitted a formal demand to Executive Engineer Suraj Das, pleading with Chief Minister Prof. (Dr.) Manik Saha to resolve the standoff. They want their money within two months, specifically before the start of Durga Puja.

Suraj Das confirmed the payment backlog. He pointed to a severe shortage of funds but noted the issue reached higher officials. The contractors warned that failure to act will lead to protests, including office gheraos and road blockades. If the government ignores these demands, the contractors state, "they will intensify protests through road blockades, office gheraos, and, in the most extreme scenario, collective suicide." The state must now find the cash or face a humanitarian disaster.