72 from Tripura leave city in 3 buses

SHILLONG: The Tripura Students’ Federation in Shillong has helped over 70 students and migrant workers get back home amid lockdown.
Three buses left the city for Agartala at 4.30pm on Tuesday carrying 72 passengers, including 27 students. Bibash Debbarma, the president of the students’ body, said there was no help from the Tripura government in sending back the workers and students.
“We got financial support from Maharaja (Pradyot Debbarma). Each passenger had to pay Rs 2,000 and the remaining Rs 800 is paid by Maharaja,” he said.
The federation arranged the buses without any assistance from any authorities.
Tripura has over 150 COVID positive cases and most of them are BSF personnel. But this is no deterrent for the home-sick students and workers who were waiting for the bus at Dhankheti on Tuesday.
Sampli Debbarma, a student who stays in Laitumkhrah, said they all wanted to be with their families. “The BSF area is far from my place. We stay away from Agartala. Moreover, I was missing my family,” she added.
Joshua Debbarma said they were thankful to the federation and the ‘Maharaja’ for helping them. “My parents will come to the bus terminus in Agartala in their vehicle, for which they have taken permission from the local authority there. So I am not worrying about transport,” he added.
Bibash informed that 300 more migrant workers from Tripura are here and the federation is planning to send them back on May 16. “We have already spoken to the deputy commissioner and tomorrow (Wednesday) we will know what is happening,” he said.