AGARTALA, Oct 28 (TIWN): Act East Policy of Modi Govt continues to pay dividends as history is being made with the flagging off of prestigious Agartala-Anand Vihar Rajdhani Express from Agartala today. MoS Railways Rajen Gohain will flagg off the inaugural train at 1pm . But significantly Tripura Chief Minister has not been invited to remain present on this occasion . Acording to a highly placed Rail Ministry sources , the decision to ignore Manik Sarkar on this historic moment is logical due to the political statement that CM Manik made on 31st July 2016 during the inaugural function of Tripura Sundari Express . On that day the then Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu himself was present along with Minister of Railways, Govt of Bangladesh Md.Mazibul Hoque . Truly it was a historic even as Suresh Prabhu that day also led the foundation stone of Agartala-Akhaura rail line work . But the sanctity of that prgramme was intentionally spoilt by Chief Minister Manik Sarkar , who simply made a political statement like any cunning CPI-M leader usually does .

According to a highly placed TIWN sources in the Railway Ministry and NFR it is learnt that Manik Sarkar's statement pratically infurated Railway officials including the then Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu as they came to know the literal meaning of Manik Sarkar's political speech delivered in Bengali . On that day Manik Sarkar quite shamelessly said that the inauguration of Tripura Sundari Express is the result of continuos movement of the youths led by the Left Front . Manik Sarkar even did not thank the Railway Ministry or Govt of India for this initiative . 

 A highly placed NFR official told TIWN ,"Such a political statement was purely unwanted on such an occasion when the delegates of Bangladesh Govt and the Minister of Railways of the neighbouring country was present . As such a decision was taken to ignore him to avoid repeatation of such humiliating episode . " 

 The official also said that it was due to this logical decision Chief Minister Manik Sarkar was not invited when Agartala-Sealdah Kanchanjunga Express was inaugurated on 7th October 2016 . The train was flagged off through video conference by the then Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu from Rail Bhawan in presence of state BJP President Biplab Kumar Deb and state BJP Observer Sunil Deodhar .   Today history will be made once again when the prestigious Agartala-Ananda Vihar Rajdhani Express will commence its inaugural run from Agartala . MoS Railway Rajen Gohain will flag off the train at 1 pm in presence of Governor Tathagata Roy along with PWD Minister Badal Chowdhury , Transport Minister Minister Manik Dey, three MPs Jitendra Chowdhury , Sanar Prasad Datta , Jharna Das Baidya and MLA Dilip Sarkar . But Chief Minister Manik Sarkar has not even been invited for this historic event . 

  An NFR official( unwilling to reveal identity) told this correspondent ," There is no compulsion on behalf of Rail Ministry to invite the Chief Minister but the Ministry and NFR don't like to give this occasion a political colour by raising a controversy . As such the CM was not invited because his statement on 31st July 2016 was not at all supported by the Railway . " 

   The official further says ," Politics does count when development is concerned. Ministry of Railway and NFR are committed to develope rail connectivity in the North-East and as a reault of it Rajdhani will start its journey from Agartala after Arunachal Padesh . "