Agartala, June 1: The Tripura Guerrilla Returnees’ Demand Committee has announced an indefinite blockade of the Assam–Agartala National Highway and railway tracks beginning June 5, alleging prolonged government inaction on their long-pending rehabilitation demands.
The announcement was made during a press conference where committee leaders expressed dissatisfaction over the lack of response from the administration despite repeated representations. They stated that the agitation had become unavoidable as their concerns remained unresolved for years.
The committee has placed a five-point charter of demands before the government. Key among these are the immediate revival of a Rs 23 crore rehabilitation package and the withdrawal of pending legal cases against former militants who surrendered before 1998 and subsequently returned to mainstream society. The returnees argue that these measures are essential for ensuring their social and economic rehabilitation.
Speaking at the press conference, one of the committee members recalled that the rehabilitation initiative was launched nearly two decades ago. According to him, the then state government approved a Rs 45 crore rehabilitation project on May 22, 2007, aimed at providing permanent settlement and socio-economic support to surrendered militants. The programme was implemented from 2008 and continued until 2018.
However, the project reportedly came to a standstill following a change in government and later due to disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Committee leaders claimed that nearly Rs 22 crore of the sanctioned amount had already been utilized before the programme was halted, while the remaining funds remained unspent.
The returnees are demanding that the government revive the rehabilitation scheme and utilize the balance amount to complete the unfinished work. “We have repeatedly approached the administration and submitted our grievances, but no concrete action has been taken. Therefore, we have decided to launch an indefinite blockade from June 5,” a committee representative said.
The proposed agitation is expected to significantly affect connectivity in Tripura, as both the Assam–Agartala National Highway and railway routes serve as the state’s primary lifelines to the rest of the country. Any disruption could impact transportation, trade, passenger movement, and the supply of essential commodities.
Notably, the announcement coincides with the scheduled visit of Union Home Minister Amit Shah to Tripura on June 5, during which he is expected to review border security and infrastructure along the India–Bangladesh frontier.
