AGARTALA, May 17 (TIWN): Food grains from mainstream India will arrive in Tripura across internal water system of Bangladesh, said Dr. Debasish Basu, Director of Food and Civil Supplies.Talking to TIWN today, he said that the Bangladesh government has permitted transportation of 10,000 MT food grains to Tripura through Ashuganj river port on river Meghna in Comilla district of Bangladesh. “The barge containing the food grains will sail from Haldia port in West Bengal for Ashuganj port in fifteen days. The food grains to be unloaded at Ashuganj river port will arrive in Tripura on trucks by road, “says Dr. Basu.

He also informed that Tripura government has approached the union ministry of external affairs to take up the matter with Bangladesh for transportation of 35,000MT of food grains every month through riverine transport across Bangladesh. 

The state felt the need for access to Ashuganj port as from October 14 the railway connectivity between Tripura and the rest of the country through northeastern region will come to a standstill because of work on conversion of current metre gauge track into broad gauge

“Since Bangladesh had earlier allowed transportation of heavy equipments of Palatana thermal plant in south Tripura across Bangladesh territory, it is felt that they will allow transportation of goods for Tripura across their territory,” the official added.

The temporary disruption in railway connectivity will put heavy pressure on road connectivity through Assam-Agartala national highway (No-44) and will make inward transportation of essential commodities a difficult job.The matter was discussed recently at a high level meeting presided over by chief secretary Dr S.K. Panda. The NF railway officials said that gauge conversion work would take minimum six months to complete, leading to possible disruption of supply of essential commodities to the state.

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