Agartala, November 14: In a much-needed relief to the people of Tripura, the state’s Food, Civil Supplies, and Consumer Affairs Minister, Sushanta Choudhury, announced on Thursday that the ongoing fuel crisis especially of petrol in the state is set to end by midnight.
Speaking at the sidelines of a monthly review meeting of Food, Civil Supplies, and Consumer Affairs department held at Pragna Bhavan in capital Agartala, the Minister assured that the situation would stabilize with the arrival of fuel tankers.
The crisis began five days ago when the state government had to introduce rationing measures for petrol due to disruptions in fuel supply routes.
According to Minister Choudhury, the issue stemmed from disturbances in railway transportation through Assam.
“The repairing work at Lumding and Badarpur sections following a goods train derailment had severely hampered the normal supply of fuel to Tripura,” he explained.
During the peak of the crisis, most fuel stations across the state displayed ‘no petrol’ signs, leading to long queues at the few stations that remained open.
The situation had especially impacted two-wheeler riders, who were seen waiting for hours to refuel their vehicles.
However, Minister Choudhury confirmed that fuel tankers carrying petrol and diesel have started entering Tripura, promising that by midnight, the supply chain would return to normalcy.
“The people of Tripura can expect a restoration of fuel availability by tonight, and the government is doing everything possible to ensure this happens,” he said.
While addressing the media, the Minister also expressed concerns over the rising prices of essential commodities, especially vegetables.
He attributed the surge in prices to the recent floods that had devastated significant areas of cropland in Tripura.
The floods not only destroyed the harvest but also left the state dependent on external sources for supplies.
The estimated loss due to the flood is around Rs 15,000 crore according to the state government.
“Due to the damage to local crops, we are now forced to procure vegetables and other items from neighboring states. The added transportation costs have inevitably increased market prices,” said Choudhury who is also the Transport Minister.
Despite government regulations aimed at stabilizing prices, the impact of supply shortages and additional freight charges has been challenging to manage.
The Minister emphasized that the government is closely monitoring the situation and is committed to easing the burden on consumers.
The department is focusing on bolstering the public distribution system of food grains and other essentials to ensure that the people of Tripura do not face further hardships.
The crisis, however, has highlighted the state’s vulnerability in terms of supply chain management, especially in the wake of natural disasters.
As the government scrambles to address both fuel and food supply issues, citizens are hopeful for a swift return to normalcy.
