- Abhijit Nath, NET Correspondent, Tripura
Agartala, December 23, 2021 : The brick kilns of Tripura will receive a sigh of relief by December end, as one rake of coal is being loaded on Thursday to reach the state from West Bengal, informed an official of Indian Railways.
It is reported that the much-needed one rake of coal is being loaded on Thursday after repeated pleas and persuasions. If everything goes well, the coal train will leave today with coal for Tripura from Raniganj of West Bengal, said an official.
At the behest of Coal India for the fulfillment of the state’s demand, the essential rake of coal is finally loaded on Thursday at Raniganj.
A top railway official source informed that one rake of much-needed coal will reach Jirania railway station in West Tripura district by December 28 or 29 next to add life to the dead brick kilns of the state.
The brick kiln owners in Tripura were spotted with a sigh of relief receiving the information. They have however, welcomed arriving of coal, describing, something is better than nothing.
The official further added that another rake of coal is expected to be loaded within 2-3 days.
Recently, the central government had released the first installment for the Pradhaan Mantri Awaas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G) beneficiaries, which was facing a jolt in the state due to abnormal price hikes of the bricks and other construction materials.
In view of this, the administration is silent and remained blind. With the lackadaisical attitude of the government, public resentment is brewing as brick is sold at a higher price of Rs 15.5 which was Rs 11.5 earlier.
With a skyrocketing price hike in construction materials, the PMAY-G beneficiaries are annoyed over the silent spectator’s role of the respective department and administration of Tripura. Everywhere in the state, the picture is the same.
However, Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb also issued a terse warning for the traders selling construction materials not to hike the prices and asked the District Magistrates (DMs) of 8 districts to initiate stringent actions if any complaint is being lodged.
A government-sponsored and subsidized semi-permanent, the pucca house is no less than a fairy tale or a dream to a poor family. When it reaches the hands of a poor family, it adds life to the vitality of sustainability and stability, thereby instilling a kind of security, wealth, comfort and confidence of having the shelter. But hope, it falls flat on the harsh ground of reality even in the backdrop of the Chief Minister’s stern warning when the poor buyer fails to bring a brick bigger than the size of his sanctioned pocket.
