Tripura may witness a statewide transport shutdown on February 20 as the Tripura Guerrilla Returned Demand Committee (TGRDC), a body representing surrendered militants, has announced plans to blockade national highways and railway lines. The proposed agitation comes amid growing resentment over the suspension of a long-pending rehabilitation project and unresolved legal cases against former insurgents.
Addressing a press conference in Agartala on Wednesday, leaders of the committee said they had laid down arms before 1998 during the Left Front regime, choosing the path of peace and reconciliation. They recalled that in 2007, the state government had sanctioned Rs 45 crore for their rehabilitation, and the project was implemented from 2008 until 2018.
According to the committee, the rehabilitation scheme was abruptly halted following a change in government and later disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. They alleged that nearly Rs 23 crore of the sanctioned amount remains unutilised, leaving many beneficiaries without promised support.
“We have waited long enough. This is our rightful due,” the committee leaders asserted, demanding the immediate resumption of the rehabilitation project and withdrawal of pending cases against surrendered militants. They warned that if their demands are not addressed promptly, they would be compelled to intensify their “democratic movement.”
The announcement of a blockade has raised concerns about potential disruption to road and rail connectivity across the state, particularly given Tripura’s dependence on national highways and railway lines for essential supplies.
With the February 20 deadline fast approaching, attention has now turned to the state administration’s response, as efforts are expected to prevent a confrontation and ensure that normal life remains unaffected.
