Agartala: Tripura government has pushed a proposal to bring food grins by using Ashuganj Port in Bangladesh avoiding the hectic Assam-Agartala national highway, official sources confirmed here on Saturday.
“If everything falls as per plan, the Food Corporation of India (FCI) will sail middle-sized ships from Andhra Pradesh carrying 10 MT food grains meant for Tripura soon”, said Principal Secretary, Food and Civil Supplies here.
Earlier, the state government had been successfully brought ten MT food grains and heavy equipments meant for 726 MW Palatana power plant by using Ashuganj Port in Bangladesh.
As per the proposal, the FCI will send the consignment from Andhra Pradesh to Ashuganja, a port of Bangladesh from where it will be transported to Agartala by trucks.
“We are working on the proposal to avoid the hectic journey from Andhra Pradesh to Agartala via Kolkata. If the Dhaka accepts the plan, then the FCI will be able to send food grains through Ashuganj port,” Roy said.
He said the proposal has already been sent to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MEA) to take up the issue with its Bangladesh counterpart. “Hopefully, Dhaka will clear the proposal to enable the FCI to bring food grains from mainland states of the country’, he said.
The plan will also prove beneficial for Tripura when the train service is suspended due to conversion of rail track from Meter Gauge to Broad Gauge (BG)
The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has already declared it would suspend the train service upto Agartala due to BG conversion work starting October.
“It will be a big trouble for us to bring food grains or essential items after the suspension of train service. The Assam-Agartala national highway will fall short to ensure smooth movement of vehicles during the monsoon”, said an official of Food and Civil Supplies department.
