AGARTALA, May 6 (TIWN): The state government’s alternative effort to bring essential items by using Ashuganj port has got positive response from the competent authority, said Food and Civil Supplies Minister Bhanu Lal Saha.

Speaking to media at Civil Secretariat, he said the state government has already forwarded a proposal to bring 10,000 MT good grains in a month by using Ashuganj port in Bangladesh as part of contingency arrangement.

“We have received a positive response from MoFE on the issue. The MoFE assured to take up the matter with Dhaka so that food grains could not brought to Tripura by using Bangla port”, he said.

The government plans to bring the consignment from Bishakhapattanam (Andhra Pradesh) to Agartala via Ashuganj (Bangladesh). “The matter is yet to be cleared by the Dhaka. If Dhaka clears the proposal, then we will try to get the clearance renewed by the Bangladesh authority for another few months”, he said.

Mr. Saha said the state needs 30,000 MT food grains in a month. The government plans to bring 10,000 MT food grains by using Bangla port while the remaining 20,000 MT essential items could be brought through Assam and Agartala national highway (NH-44).

The contingency plan has been mulled as the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has already informed the state government about the suspension of train service due to BG conversion work from Lumding to Agartala.

The BG conversion work is scheduled to take place in between October 2014 to March 2015. During the period, the train service will remain suspended that might bring trouble for the people living in the landlocked state.