Tripura BMS Threatens To Block Assam-Agartala NH-08 From August 1

29th July 2022

Abhijit Nath, NET Correspondent, Tripura

Agartala, July 29, 2022 : Assam’s civil and police administrations hired 773 vehicles from Tripura on rent of Rs 1.76 crore during the assembly election that took place in 2021, but till now, the outstanding bills have not yet been paid. The Tripura Pradesh Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh on Friday threatened to block Assam-Agartala national highway-08 at Churaibari entry point in North Tripura district from August 01 next.

In a press conference at BMS hall in Dharmanagar Motor Stand on Friday afternoon, Sangh’s North Tripura district general secretary Biplab Das said “During the assembly election of Assam in 2021, Karimganj district’s District Commissioner hired 550 light motor vehicles with a rent of Rs 87.51 lakh and on the orders of the district’s Superintendent of Police (SP), 223 vehicles comprised of 130 buses, 70 trucks and 23 LMVs were hired with rent of Rs 88.55 lakh.”

“Even after 16 months, the owners in Tripura who sent their vehicles to Assam for the assembly elections have not received a single bill till now. The BMS delegation repeatedly informed Karimganj district’s civil and police administrations for clearing of the outstanding bills, but the officials have not been able to give anything except assurances”, he added.

Das said “On the directions of the District Commissioner and Superintendent of Police in Assam’s Karimganj district, hundreds of vehicles left for the neighbouring state in April 2021. The bills amounted to around Rs 2 crore are still left unpaid.”

BMS North Tripura district general secretary said “So far, the vehicles’ owners have approached the Assam administration regarding this rent for 16 to 17 times, but have not received a single rupee yet. Not only this, letters have been posted addressing the Chief Secretary and Chief Minister of Assam, Tripura’s Chief Secretary, Chief Minister, Transport Minister, Transport Secretary and North Tripura district’s DM, still there is no positive signal from the top bureaucrats and government.”

However, on March 24, 2022, the district commissioner of Karimganj district sent a letter and discharged his duties with an assurance. On July 26, when the District commissioner of Karimganj district was again contacted by BMS, the higher official failed to give any positive reply.

Based on these circumstances, the owners from different parts of Tripura who sent their vehicles for election-related purposes in Assam in 2021 and left unpaid till now, have decided to block the Assam-Agartala national highway-08 at Churaibari entry point in North Tripura district from August 01 next.