Allegations of various irregularities in the Khowai–Teliamura road expansion project have been surfacing day after day.

Allegations of widespread irregularities have been surfacing for days regarding the Khowai–Teliamura road expansion project. What makes the situation particularly significant is that the complaints are not limited to lower-level employees — they reportedly involve officials as high as the Additional District Magistrate, along with tehsildars and other administrative staff. This has raised serious concern and surprise across the district.

Meanwhile, wherever the agency responsible for the national highway expansion is carrying out work, local residents are reportedly obstructing the process. The key question is — why?

According to the emerging reports, the answers are quite alarming. Residents of areas like Ichharbil in Teliamura have alleged that compensation procedures are being manipulated. People claim that instead of following the proper rules for disbursing compensation for land acquisition and demolition, they are being cheated.

In some shocking allegations, it is claimed that certain tehsildars, including Amit Das and Ranjit Bhowmik, have been working in collusion with a senior district official, engaging in corrupt practices.

Many locals have further alleged that some tehsildars are openly demanding bribes, saying that to receive higher compensation amounts, a certain portion must be handed over — to be shared among the tehsildar, the surveyor, and even a senior district-level officer.

The list of complaints doesn’t end there. In some cases, locals claim that cash payments have influenced decisions — houses were demolished, but the compensation was paid to tenants instead of the actual homeowners. Reportedly, the money was then divided among officials at different administrative levels, from the tehsildar to the senior officer in question.

As these incidents come to light, public anger is growing, and residents have begun protesting, resulting in disruptions to the road construction work — as happened on Wednesday in the Ichharbil area. When work was halted, the Sub-Divisional Magistrate himself arrived at the site and listened to the complaints from the affected residents.

While expanding the national highway is indeed important for overall development, locals point out that repeated allegations against certain senior officials have not been addressed. They fear that as long as these “ghosts within the system” remain in charge, the project might not just be a case of minor corruption — but could lead to massive malpractice in the name of development.