AGARTALA, August 15 (TIWN): Denying further slashing of the Air Turbine Fuel (ATF) tax in the Agartala sector despite the price of air ticket soars in, the Tripura government mulls for imposing restriction on the aviation companies to contain the rise in air tickets. “We urge the Govt. of India to think over it as the rise in air ticket is causing hurdles for the Tripura passengers,” said State Transport Minister Manik Dey.

“The Tripura Government had already reduced the tax on aviation fuel by 4 per cent, but has brought no solution to the sufferings of the people of the state as the aviation companies kept on increasing the price of air ticket,” Dey told to reporters.

Minister was interacting with the media persons at the civil secretariat in this regard. On being asked about plan of the state government to further reduce the tax on aviation fuel, Dey said, “We now think that some restrictions should be imposed on the aviation companies from the part of Govt. of India because despite cutting the ATF tax in Agartala sector to price of the air ticket is soaring in.”

Adding to that he also said that due to negligence role of the central government the aviation companies have been acting free to increase the price of the air ticket on their own without any limitation in this Agartala sector.

However, it can be assumed that the price of the air tickets in Agartala sector is unlikely to go down and it is expected that the introduction of transportation facility by the state government from Agartala to Kolkata by bus would only be the solution to the sufferings of the state passengers.

Dey said, “There is no assurance that even if the government plans to cut the aviation fuel tax further the airline companies will bring down the price of the air ticket because they have been always interested to soar the price in Agartala sector causing hurdle for the common people.”

He said that the spice jet and Indigo airline companies had recently increased their operation in the Agartala sector whereas other companies like Jet Airways, Indian Airlines had already withdrawn their flight operation.  

On being asked that if there is a chance for the on route airline companies to withdraw their flight operation from this Agartala sector, Minister Manik Dey said there is no chance because the airline companies are always interested to operate their flight from the sector as they are able to make a hefty profit from this sector.

“If the airline companies are ready to slash the price of air ticket in Agartala secotr than the government of Tripura would be ready to cut the ATF tax further,” Dey clarified.

It is to be mentioned here that replying to the question moved by the opposition MLA in the recently concluded monsoon assembly session Food and Civil Supplies Minister Bhanulal Saha admitting the hike in price of air ticket said that private airlines are interested to operate their flights only on profitable routes at the cost of suffering of common people.