Tripura Capital reels under huge fuel crisis 

Tripura’s capital, Agartala, has been reeling under a huge fuel crisis for the past few days since fuel tankers from Assam, due to the poor condition of the under-repaired national highway inside the state, are unable to reach here on a regular basis, so the state government is contemplating diverting the traffic through neighbouring Bangladesh, according to Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha.

Most of the filling stations capital are empty and have no-petrol and no-diesel placards posted since fuel tankers from Assam are regularly unable to come  due to bad road conditions at a few spots of the under-repair Assam-Agartala national highway in Tripura.

Rain has further worsened the situation, and transportation of petroleum products by train, which stopped three months ago, has yet to resume.

Long queues were observed and people had to wait for several hours for their turn to get fuel in a few of the filling stations where petrol and diesel were available.

The situation may worsen as the rainy season continues, despite claims that work on repairing the national highway is progressing at warp speed.
 
The Tripura CM informed that the state government is contemplating getting fuel tankers via Bangladesh if the situation continues and for which the state government is in touch with the union government and senior officials of the concerned department.
 
In the meantime, India and Bangladesh on Wednesday signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in Dhaka as part of which petroleum products and LPG will be sent to states like Tripura, Mizoram, and Manipur through transit facilities across Bangladesh.
 
Recent heavy rainfall and landslides in Assam have created major obstacles in the transportation of essential goods in the Northeast region of Assam. To overcome this crisis, the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) and Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) signed a MOU for the transit of Indian goods and petroleum products, including LPG, for which the Indian authorities will pay toll tax and road tax at rates agreed upon. 
 
This facility to be given by Bangladesh will remain in force for six months till the setting in of the winter months and dry season.
 
Undoubtedly, this will ease the hurdle of transportation of crucial petroleum products to the landlocked states of Manipur, Tripura, and Mizoram during the current rainy season.
 
All formalities are being finalised now and the transportation will commence soon.