Tripura Govt protests against raising air fares

Agartala, Aug 20 (UNI) Tripura government has protested recent hike in air fares by Indian and Jet Airways on the Agartala-Kolkata- -Agartala-Guwahati routes three times this year and demanded their reduction.

In a letter to Union Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel on August 14 Tripura Transport Minister Manik Dey said Indian Airlines and Jet Airways had raised fares three times this year by Rs 300, Rs 200 and Rs 150 on May 4, July 7 and August 8 respectively.

He said the rise in air fares would have a detrimental impact on passengers in the state.

The state in the north-eastern region is land locked and is dependent mainly on air services to reach destinations in short time as railway station from this capital city is 109 km away.

The people of this state travel by air for various purposes, including for treatment and studies outside the state, Mr Dey said in the letter.

Tripura is a special category state where a maximum number of people are living under poverty line and considering this the Union Minister should give instructions to airliners to withdraw the increased fares, he wrote in the letter.

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