Road communication to be restored by Saturday evening

Agartala, Jun 19 (UNI) The supply of essential commodities to Tripura is yet to become normal after the Border Roads Task Force (BRTF) failed to clear the National Highway 44.

Though light vehicles has started plying on the Highway since yesterday, heavy vehicles, including Interstate buses, as well as trucks are expected to ply from this evening if the BRTF succeeds in clearing the debris caused by heavy landslide at Sonarpur in Meghalaya.

The state remained cut-off for almost six days by road after a bridge was wahed away at Sonarpur in Meghalaya and landslides occurred at 20 places on the National Highway in Assam and Meghalaya.

Official sources said here today that the railway link would be restored from Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the state government has directed temporary rationing of petroleum products and directed the police and food department officials to keep a strict vigil against any black marketing and hoarding of essential commodities.

According to sources more then 400 trucks remained stranded at different points on the National Highway in Assam and Meghalaya. If the situations fails to improve Tripura, Mizoram and Barak Valley in Assam will face an acute shortage of essential commodities.

Sources also informd that about 10 trucks carring LPG cylinders and many oil tankers were left stranded at Sonarpur.

The Chief Engineer of the Shillong Division of the BRTF had informed the state food department that the road is expected to reopen this evening.

The railway and the road link in the entire region had been disrupted since June 12 following heavy rains, floods and landslides.

UNI PD KK KLC1209