By TC News Desk
Agartala, 13th January 2025: Traders and vehicle drivers staged a significant protest at Premtala Bazar today demanding immediate repair of a two-kilometer stretch of dilapidated road. The road blockade began at 11 am was lifted a few hours later at the request of the Panchayat Samiti Chairman Mihir Ranjan Nath.
The protest highlighted the dire condition of the state’s second alternative national highway, which has been deteriorating for several months due to broken roads and pervasive dust. Market traders and small vehicle drivers have been particularly affected, expressing frustration with the lack of maintenance.
“The Premtala tri-junction has collapsed due to the constant movement of heavy vehicles loaded with stones and soil,” said one of the protesters. “The two-kilometer stretch from Premtala Bazar on National Highway No. 208 to Jherjheri on the Tripura-Assam border is full of large potholes, making it impossible for small vehicles, including tom-toms, to navigate.”
The broken road conditions have severely impacted Premtala Bazar, with dust and sand causing many food and tea shops to close. “Buyers are avoiding the market because of the dust and sand, making it difficult for us to earn a livelihood,” a market trader lamented. “Living in the vicinity has become unbearable due to the constant dust.”
Despite the protest, no public representatives or officials from the concerned department visited the blockade site, except for police personnel from Kadamtala and Churaibari police stations. The absence of officials further fueled the protesters’ frustration.
“Our demand is simple: repair the dilapidated road immediately,” insisted another protester. “We are prepared to continue our protest indefinitely if necessary.”
Eventually, the blockaders spoke with Kadamtala Panchayat Samiti Chairman Mihir Ranjan Nath over the phone and decided to lift the road blockade, considering the humanitarian aspect and the bustling market on the occasion of Makar Sankranti.
“We lifted the blockade on humanitarian grounds today, but if our demands are not met within a week, we will resume the road blockade for an indefinite period,” warned one of the protest leaders.
