- Abhijit Nath, NET Correspondent, Tripura
Agartala, August 17, 2022 : It is understandable to witness that pupils were discovered to have been demonstrating or agitating against the transfer of teachers. But most likely for the first time in Tripura’s history, students were observed demonstrating for a different cause, against the deplorable road condition in the state’s northern district.
A group of school students in Tripura on Wednesday attempted to draw the attention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi through a road blockade demanding renovation of roads at Kadamtala-Churaibari and Premtala-Phulbari under North Tripura district. The students complained that if this three-kilometre long stretch of road is not repaired then they will not go to school.
It is to be noted that on Wednesday, the students studying in Baghan Higher Secondary School under North Tripura district participated in the street protest demanding the renovation of the roads.
It is reported that the national highway 208 along with Kadamtala-Churaibari main road, Premtala-Phulbari road was blocked in Premtala’s three-way routes. The students complained that neither the PWD office nor state ministers nor MLAs listen to their demands. Hence, they were forced to block the road and finally demand the repairing of the road to the Prime Minister.
The students’ said that the state’s national highways are in such a bad condition that such condition may not be in the whole of India. The government is only talking about improving the quality of education, but there is no idea how the students will go to school through this road. The road is in a miserable condition for two long months. Students failed to reach the examination hall on time due to such a dilapidated condition of the roads. The surprising thing is that students cannot travel on the road even through a bicycle.
A letter has even been written to the Public Works Department asking whether the road will be repaired already. But even after seven days, the students have not received any response from the concerned department. The students also said that they will block the road for a certain period of time if no action is taken to repair the road.
But two and a half hours passed and no administrative official was seen. Students are frustrated with the administrative role. Thereafter, Kadamtala RD Block’s chairman Subrata Deb went to the blockade spot and tried to console the students. But the student group were reluctant. They alleged that the chairman never looked on to the problems of commuters.
Finally, the blockade was lifted with the assurance of DCM Ananta Chakma. It is learned that the road will be made passable from tomorrow with the help of this PWD department and the agency will repair the road within a month.
