Agartala, May 11, 2024: Tripura’s CPIM Secretary and Leader of the Opposition Jitendra Chaudhury on Saturday announced of a week-long protest movement scheduled from May 13 to May 18, aiming to draw attention to the acute fuel shortage and frequent electricity outages plaguing the state.

The state of Tripura is facing a critical shortage of petrol and diesel following a minor rainstorm, raising concerns about the government’s preparedness for natural calamities. The scarcity has led to long queues at fuel stations, with residents waiting up to five hours for a mere 200 liters of fuel for their two-wheelers, often leaving empty-handed.

The situation has escalated tensions among the youth, prompting police intervention to maintain order. Leader of the Opposition Chaudhury addressed these issues in a press conference on Saturday, criticizing the state’s ‘triple engine’ government for its inaction. “At a time when our state is in turmoil, our Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha is absent, focusing on poll campaigns in West Bengal rather than addressing the crisis at hand,” Chaudhury remarked.

Chaudhury highlighted the irony of the situation, noting that while the state government typically takes proactive steps to manage droughts and floods, it has turned a blind eye to the current fuel and electricity crises. “It’s as if the progress and the so-called ‘diamond model’ touted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the North-East region have washed away with the first rains, leaving our roads closed and our tanks dry,” he said.

In response to the government’s lack of action, Chaudhury announced a week-long protest movement across every subdivision of the state from May 13 to May 18. He also demanded that the state government clear the pending wages of REGA workers in both urban and rural areas, emphasizing the need for immediate attention to the people’s grievances.