Chakmaghat: Infrastructure projects built at the cost of crores of rupees have turned into symbols of administrative apathy here on the banks of the Khowai River. Both the newly built Chakmaghat Boat Ghat and the adjacent Mungiakami Range Forest Beat Office lie completely abandoned, triggering widespread public anger over the gross wastage of taxpayers’ money.
The boat ghat was inaugurated with immense fanfare on March 10, 2024, by Tribal Welfare Minister Bikash Debbarma to boost local tourism and the economy. However, within months, the site became a ghost town. Today, a massive fallen tree blocks the unusable ghat, while a row of neglected boats sits thick with dust. Locals blame unrealistic, exorbitant boat rental rates for driving tourists away, forcing operations to a grinding halt.
The situation is equally dismal at the Chakmaghat Forest Beat Office, inaugurated just months later on October 8, 2024, by then-Forest Minister Animesh Debbarma. The office remains locked during the day with zero staff present, forcing locals to travel all the way to Teliamura for basic administrative work.
Residents are now demanding an immediate high-level inquiry, questioning whether these expensive projects were merely political photo-ops.