Sarkar govt endorsing dubious chit fund firms: Cong

Congress today accused the Tripura government of being hand in glove with dubious chit fund companies and demanded a CBI probe into affairs of 142 such firms.
Coming down hard on the Manik Sarkar government, Tripura PCC chief Birajit Sinha and CLP leader Sudip Roy Burman alleged that the Left Front regime had done nothing despite 92 of the 142 chit fund companies fled along with huge money of the common people.
Alleging that the Chief Minister was working as a "brand ambassador" for the chit fund companies, they told a joint press conference at the AICC headquarters here that these firms have spread a vast network in the northeastern state.

"It is most unfortunate that political personages of the ruling CPI-M in Tripura including Chief Minister Manik Sarkar directly acted as brand ambassador of these extremely dubious non-banking financial institutions by attending their programmes as chief guest or guest of honour," the Tripura Congress leaders claimed.
They also asserted that the "simplicity tag" does not fit Sarkar as he is "endorsing such companies".
They alleged that the government's functionaries and its party leaders and cadres have embezzled several hundreds of crores of rupees in the last few years and only a CBI probe can unearth the scams.

AICC General Secretary V Narainsamy said that despite Tripura facing such a crisis over the chit fund scam, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has failed to give even an appointment to Congress leaders from the state for several months.

The state Congress leaders today met party chief Sonia Gandhi today to press the demand for a CBI probe into the affairs of the companies. They also plan to meet President Pranab Mukherjee in this regard and would stage a dharna here on June 18 to focus on the chit funds scam.
They claimed that the Chief Minister has rushed to Delhi in the wake of their programme in the national capital to push for a CBI probe.
As many as 14 lakh investors in the state have been defrauded by Rs 1172 crore, they said citing a preliminary estimate. They said that the actual amount "looted" by the companies will be much more.

The Left front is in power in Tripura since 1993 and is now the only state being ruled by the CPI-M.