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Kailasahar howls for rail connectivity with Bangladesh, demands upgradation of Kailasahar airport, Unnayan Mancha seeks Governor’s intervention
TIWN
Kailasahar howls for rail connectivity with Bangladesh, demands upgradation of Kailasahar airport, Unnayan Mancha seeks Governor’s intervention
PHOTO : Kailasahar Unnayan Mancha meets Tripura Governor at Governor House. TIWN Pic July 2

AGARTALA, July 2 (TIWN): Lack of governmental intervention has ruined the upgradation work of the Kailasahar Airport under Unakoti District of Tripura which shut down in mid 1990 due to lack of space. The airport is almost turned into an abandoned place. A team of Airport Authority of India (AAI) had visited Kailasahar way back in 2011 with an effort to re­open the Kailasahar airport. But the airport is lying non-functional since several years. However on Thursday the Kailasahar Unnayan Mancha had met the Governor Tathagata Roy at Governor House seeking his intervention for the up gradation of the airport soon for a direct connectivity with Kolkata, Guwahati, South Assam and many other parts of the North Eastern region. Demanding for the upgradtion work of the aerodrome, the Unnayan Manch claimed, “Since the year 1990 the Kailasahar airport remained shut and has got no facility yet today for the local people.” It said, “Kailasahar aerodrome, located at Durgapur area under Kailasahar sub­division which was established in the 60th century with a small aircraft service, now remains closed for past many years due to the lack of maintenance, staffing, and other necessary things.” The District Magistarte and Collector (DM) Mrinal Kanti Nath has recently sent a proposal to the State Transport Department in regard of the acquisition of 70 acres of land.

The official source said that the DPR along with the design will shortly be placed before the Airport Authority of India (AAI) board for the approval of design and finance for the project. 

Finally, it will go to the ministry of environment and forest for green clearance, said source.It is worthy to be mentioned here that earlier the then DM of Unakoti District had also sent a proposal to the State Govt. in regard of land acquisition, but no development has been brought yet today and as a result the present DM has again sent a proposal to the Transport Department. 

The state govt. has been pushing the AAI to engage staffs in the work, but even the environmental clearance report has not yet come, despite the state govt. has already moved with their work.

Besides, the Unnayan Mancha had also drawn the attention of Governor on Thursday towards the rail connectivity between Unakoti and neighbouring country Bangladesh Shongshoynaga. The Unnayan Mancha had claimed, “There is an urgent need of rail connectivity between Kailasahar, Kumarghat and Bangladesh in order to bring a development to the Unakoti District of the state.”

Adding to that it was said, “The rail connectivity would also render the people of other North Eastern states and Bangladesh with better opportunities to visit here at Unakoti and its tourist spots.”

“We have also urged the Governor of Tripura today to take up the issue with the central government in order to declare the Unakoti Shaiva pilgrimage spot as a national heritage,” adding, the Unnayan Mancha had said, “It is the prime tourist spot of Unakoti District in Kailashahar Subdivision in the North-Eastern Indian state of Tripura.” Therefore there is also a need to declare it as a national heritage; the Mancha reiterated its demand.

On yet another issue the Unnayan Mancha drawing the attention of the Governor had demanded for setting up the Chambal Fertilizer plant at the earliest. They claimed, “Tripura government has allotted 800 acres of land to set up a Rs. 5000-crore Urea fertilizer plant in Kailashahar, Unkoti district but hitherto no further step had been taken by the authority.”

The state government, ONGC, Chambal Fertilisers and Chemicals had signed a MoU on April 9 2012 to set up the project, biggest initiative in the state so far. And for the first of its kind here in Tripura the ONGC had carried the most advanced technology of hydro-fracturing at Khubal under Unakoti District to know the actual reserve of gas which would be supplied to the fertilizer plant once it starts.

“We expect by 2016 the fertilizer plant would start producing urea and three million cubic meters of gas would be required per day for the project,” official said, adding that the plant would annually produce 1.3 million tonnes of fertilizer.

However, later the Governor Tathagata Roy assuring the Kailasahar Unnayan Mancha in regard of taking up the matter to the central government had said, “I was thinking for the development of the Unakoti district of the state. Therefore I would like to take up the matter to the government as well as to the state government here soon.”

 

 

 

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