BY TC News Desk
Agartala, 18th February 2026: Several brick kilns across Tripura are shutting down due to an acute shortage of coal, leaving hundreds of workers and their families in financial distress. The Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) staged a protest in front of the state Labour Department, accusing the government of indifference and failure to address the crisis.
Speaking at the demonstration, CITU state general secretary Shankar Prasad Dutta said brick kilns in Tripura have been closing one after another since 2018. “Even those still operating are now on the verge of closure because of the coal supply shortage. Owners are shutting down kilns without prior notice, pushing workers into extreme economic hardship,” he alleged.
Dutta further claimed that repeated appeals to the Labour Department have gone unanswered. “Despite drawing the government’s attention for years, no effective measures have been taken. It feels as if there is no government in the state,” he remarked.
The protest highlighted growing frustration among workers and unions, who say the administration’s inaction is worsening the livelihood crisis in the sector.
