AGARTALA, September 29 (TIWN): Cancellation of trains from October 1 onwards created discontent among the people on ahead of Puja. It is likely to be mentioned that the first train service of Agartala starts on the eve of Puja. Now in this current year history repeats. But for now train services going to be cancelled on the eve of Puja. However the buses taking profit of the situation increase their fare at uncontrolled level.

Tripura is again going to be separated from the mainland due to the cancellation of rail services from 1^st October onwards. It is to be mentioned here that Tripura’s railway link  will come to a standstill from October 1when the Northeast Frontier Railway will start gauge conversion work between Lumding-Badarpur and Silchar to upgrade the metre-gauge link to broad-gauge for 6 months. This will certainly cause a undesired situation among the people in ahead of Puja. Every year thousands of people throng to the city from different districts as well as from other neighbouring states of North-east to enjoy this biggest festival. But this year the situation will be exceptional.

On the other hand taking full advantage of the situation, the bus owners raising the fare. Passengers having no other alternative have to suffer. However, the condition of NH-44 is not upto the level. The bus services in some of the places is already stopped and the only route of TRTC bus service to Guahati is also been suspended. Though every year people from Assam and other neighbouring States also comes to Tripura for taking part in the festival.

The question raised in this level that is the work not started after Puja?

What is the role of political leaders to protest against the cancellation of trains on the eve of Puja?

What is the tenure of this cancellation?

On the other hand, the supply of food grains and other essentials to Tripura, Mizoram, parts of Manipur and southern Assam would be severely affected due to gauge conversion of railway lines. The only land corridor to the northeastern states from India is through Assam and West Bengal and this route passes through over 70 percent hilly terrain with steep roads and multiple hairpin bends.

Carrying of food, essentials and heavy machinery for several northeastern states via Bangladesh from different parts of India is much easier. For instance, Agartala via Guwahati is 1,650 km from Kolkata , while the distance between Agartala and Kolkata via Bangladesh is just about 350 km.

In a first, a 5,000 tones consignment, of a total of 10,000 tones, of rice carried in small ships from Kakinada port in Andhra Pradesh reached Ashuganj river port in Bangladesh via Kolkata Aug 5. From Ashuganj, 40 km from Agartala, Bangladeshi trucks have ferried the rice to FCI warehouses in Nandannagar nearAgartala.

In 2012, Bangladesh had allowed India's state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) to ferry heavy machinery, turbines and cargo through Ashuganj port for the 726 MW Palatana mega power project in southern Tripura.