Agartala, Sep 11 (Inditop.com) With insurgency showing signs of abating in Tripura, the state Friday said it has decided to withdraw the 16-year-old system of escorting all vehicles plying through the arterial Assam-Agartala national highway.
“We have reviewed the security situation of National Highway 44 last week and decided to scrap the 16-year-old convoy escort system,” Pranay Sahaya, director general of police, told reporters.
“However, the patrolling by paramilitary troopers along the national highway and static deployment in certain strategic locations of the Assam-Agartala national highway would continue.”
In view of militancy, since 1993 no vehicles have been allowed to ply without security escorts through the Assam-Agartala national highway, the only highway that connects Tripura with the rest of the country via Assam.
“From Monday, we will allow the plying of all types of vehicles freely between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. No vehicles will be allowed to run after sunset.”
Chief Minister Manik Sarkar said: “We shall observe the situation for one year and then the government may allow vehicles to ply along the vital Assam-Agartala national highway round the clock.”
“The restricted movement of vehicles along the Assam-Agartala national highway has hampered the economy significantly, besides putting people from all walks of life in an awkward situation,” the chief minister said addressing a meeting here.
After two-and-a-half decades, terrorism has shown signs of receding in Tripura, perhaps the only state in the northeast where militancy has been curbed.
Around 200 tribal guerrillas of All Tripura Tiger Force (ATTF) and National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT), including some ultras carrying rewards of Rs.250,000 each and Interpol arrest warrants for them, have fled from their Bangladeshi camps and surrendered to authorities in Tripura during the past year.
The ATTF and the NLFT, both banned outfits, had been demanding independence for the indigenous tribals and secession of Tripura from India.
