Tripura forwards demand of Kolkata-Agartala train service to Centre 

Agartala, Sep 21 : Union Minister of State for Shipping Mukul Roy has assured to put forth Tripura's demand for extension of Kolkata-Dhaka Maitri Express train service upto Agartala to Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee.

Addressing the gathering after flagging off a pair of trains from Agartala-Dharmanagar (northern end of Tripura) here last evening, Mr Roy said the demand of extension of railway tracks upto Akhaura check post with Bangladesh, connecting Agartala town, was quite legitimate and it could reduce the sufferings of the people. 

''I will voice the demand of the people of the state to the Union Cabinet and definitely pursue for it, but since the matter concerns two countries, it will not materialise overnight,'' Mr Roy underlined.  

Tripura Trinamool Congress chairman Arun Chandra Bhowmik informed Mr Roy that Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) had already completed the survey work of 17 kms stretch from Agartala station to he checkpost in 1999 and since the terrain on Bangladesh side was quite smooth, it would not be difficult to connect it with Akhaura station, only 23 kms from the checkpost. 

''Now there is railway service between Kolkata and Dhaka and if Akhaura is connected with Agartala, both business and passenger traffic would be substantial and beneficial for both the countries,'' he stated, adding direct train service could also be commissioned between Kolkata-Agartala via Dhaka. 

Mr Roy reiterated that expansion of train services in Tripura was a part of Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee's commitment to offer a better railway service to the people and pointed out, ''The twin trains will surely benefit the people living in North Tripura to reach the state capital in one of the cheapest modes of modern transportation.'' Tripura Transport Minister Manik Dey urged the Union Minister to convey the sentiment of the people regarding improvement of railway service in the state and assured to inform Ms Banerjee of the issues, besides expediting the railway extension project from Agartala to Sabroom. 

Mr Dey demanded speeding up of the ongoing Broad Gauge (BG) work between Lumding and Silchar. ''Of the total work, only 30 per cent conversion work has been completed even after 13 years of taking up the project,'' he said, adding the Assam Government should provide adequate security to complete the work within the stipulated deadline of 2012.