Tipra Motha backs Congress’ demand for functional airport, rail link at Kailashahar

Agartala, Sept 14: Tipra Motha supremo Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma on Sunday extended support to the Congress’ demand for restoring air services and ensuring railway connectivity at Kailashahar in Tripura’s Unakoti district.

The demand gained momentum after the Unakoti District Congress recently observed a 12-hour strike in Kailashahar on an 11-point charter, which prominently included operationalising the defunct Kailashahar airport and introducing railway links to the district headquarters.

"I have spoken several times to Congress MLA Birajit Sinhaji on the issue that Kailashahar needs a proper functional airport and a railway link," Debbarma said on a Facebook post.

Calling the demands “substantive and justified,” he added that such infrastructure would benefit not only Kailashahar but also nearby areas, including parts of Assam and Mizoram. “This matter will be raised in Delhi officially,” he said.

Responding to Debbarma's post, Sinha thanked him for realising the ground reality of having a functional airport at Kailashahar.

"Resumption of air services from Kailashahar airport is not only important for ferrying passengers or boosting tourism, but also essential to enhance defence capability at the border town," Sinha said.

Sinha claimed the Bangladesh government has developed Shemshernagar air base, which is just 10 km away from Kailashahar town.

"We must have an air facility at Kailashahar to counter any threat from across the border. People had witnessed how Kailashahar airport was utilised during the 1971 India-Pakistan war", he said.

"Chief Minister Mank Saha and Transport Minister Sushanta Chowdhury are in favour of resumption of services from Kailashahar airport. It appears land acquisition is a problem", he added.

Kailashahar airport, which was made functional in 1989, has remained non-functional since 1993.

PTI