Tripura: Railway line restoration normalises supply of essential goods in aftermath of heavy rains
May 20, 2024
Agartala (Tripura) [India], May 20 : Minister for Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs of Tripura Sushanta Chowdhury expressed his gratitude to Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha for restoration of railway connectivity after heavy rains on April 26 in the Jatinga-Lampur area of the Lamding-Badarpur section of North Eastern Frontier Railway washed away the railway line, disrupting the import of essential goods, including petroleum.
Sushanta Chowdhury said, "There was damage to the railway track at Jatinga - Lampur area of Assam due to excessive rain. Our CM Dr Manik Saha took the matter seriously and talked with the Central Railway Minister, to restore the railway connectivity. The quantum of petrol & petroleum products could not reach Agartala in full spirit. I am thankful to the CM, the IOCL team and the officials of the Food department, that they have taken the matter seriously and have restored the railway connectivity."
He further said that there will be no shortage of any essential commodities in the monsoon.
He further said, "I also want to appraise the people of the state, that there is no insufficiency of petroleum products, in Tripura and there is sufficient stock. The stocks of essential commodities like rice, sugar, salt, edible oil are sufficient. There will be no shortage of anything in the monsoon. The railway connectivity between Tripura and Assam got disrupted from May 1 to May 10."
Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) had begun importing petrol and diesel via road tankers. The state government implemented a temporary rationing system for petrol and diesel from May 1 to manage limited stocks, thanking the public for their cooperation.
State officials, including the Chief Minister, liaised with the Ministry of Railways to expedite repairs. Rail traffic resumed on May 11, allowing the transport of essential goods to normalize. Consequently, the state lifted fuel rationing on May 15 as supply levels improved. By May 19, IOCL reported ample stocks: 1700 kiloliters (KL) of petrol and 2726 KL of diesel.
Despite the rail disruption, the state's food grain stock under the public distribution system remained unaffected, with 60-80 days' supply always maintained. The Food Corporation of India (FCI) successfully imported significant quantities of rice after rail services resumed, ensuring a stable food supply.
Additionally, the Food Department and Legal Metrology Department conducted market raids, collecting fines for shop irregularities and ensuring compliance with weight and measure standards.
