AGARTALA, June 2 (TIWN): Indian Govt. green signalled Tripura govt. to kick off its trial run bus service on Agartala-Dhaka-Kolkataroute. State govt. all set to start its first ever bus service from Agartala to reach Kolkata via neighbouring country Bangladesh’s capital city Dhaka. The bus would start on 6:00 AM from Agartala, said Transport Minister Manik Dey on Monday.“Inaugural bus carrying 8 members’ team under the leadership of State Transport Secretary Samarjit Bhowmik would start from Agartala on June 3 at 6:00 AM,” Dey told to reporters here at the civil Secretariat on Monday. Dey said that, later during the evening hours the bus would cross the Dhaka-Kolkata border and at around 10:00 PM the bus would reach Kolkata Salt Lake. Later on June 4 the Agartala bus would return to Dhaka and after a night halt on the very day at Dhaka carrying all the 8 members’ team of Transport department here the bus would return to Agartala on June 5, Dey informed.State Transport secretary Samarjit Bhowmik on Monday confirmed the schedule to Bangladesh High Commissioner.The 8 members’ team under the leadership of Bhowmik comprises of SP Special Branch Arindam Nath, Tripura Urban Transport Corporation (TUTC) Managing Director Ratan Biswas alongwith other two drivers and mechanics.

However it is worthy to mention here that as part of the trial run Tripura govt. had arranged a normal TRTC bus to ply to Kolkata via Dhaka on June 3.

Minister Manik Dey said, “Tripura govt. would purchase air-conditioned bus for Agartala-Dhaka-Kolkata bus service.” He also said, “We have not yet purchased the bus but it would delay. We have already sent a proposal for it.”

Dey also cleared, “After the flag off of the bus service there would be no problem with the Tripura Govt. to ply bus because we have one good air-conditioned bus ready. We can also ply it to Kolkata.”

Asked about the fare status, Dey said, “The fare has not yet been fixed as there are some other priority issues to be discussed.” But after the trial run is completed there would be an agreement between the Govt. of India and Bangladesh Govt. later after which the fare and other issues would be fixed up.

On yet another historical stride, Govt. of India for the first time would use the Bangladesh territory as a transit corridor to reach one of its furthest corners.

For the Kolkata-Tripura route, the state has proposed to run the services from Kolkata thrice a week, with the buses passing through two Indo-Bangla check posts, one at Petrapol-Benapole and the other at Akhaura-Agartala. The fare, which is yet to be finalized, is not likely to be more than Rs 2,000. 

However, it was a long-standing demand of the people of Tripura to have a direct bus connection with Kolkata.

 “We are hopeful that the long cherished Agartala-Kolkata via Dhaka bus service would get gain ground during the Prime Minister’s visit to Dhaka next month”, said Transport Minister Manik Dey while speaking to media at Civil Secretariat here recently.

People of different sections here are at present facing several hurdles travelling to Kolkata as they have to spend high fares to the airlines. The air connectivity is the only means for the Tripura travelers to travel Kolkata as there is no other way to go through. Besides the BG conversion line is under construction as a result the train service here has halted for the past several months. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with his Bangladeshi counterpart, Sheikh Hasina, is likely to flag off the first Kolkata-Dhaka-Agartala bus in Dhaka on June 6, probably in the presence of Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar, even though no formal confirmation about CM's Bangladesh visit released by external affairs Ministry.