Agartala, Dec 20, 2022, TRIPURATIMES Desk

Rajya Sabha member from Tripura Biplab Kumar Deb during the winter session of the Parliament raised the matter regarding operationalizing Bharat-Bangladesh Maitri Setu built on the river Feni.

He drew the attention of the Ministry of External Affairs to take up the issue with the Bangladesh government and take necessary steps to start the bridge at the earliest.

Deb informed the House that once the bridge is operationalized, it would help increase the financial activities between both the countries benefitting all the North-Eastern states including Tripura.

He said, Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi and his Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina virtually inaugurated the Feni Bridge on March 9, last year. He mentioned, all necessary steps in Indian side were already taken but the bridge could not be operationalized as the works of land customs station in Bangladesh side remained incomplete so far.

The MP pointed out, Tripura is unable to take advantage of using Chittagong and Mongla ports despite having permission as the Maitri Setu is yet to be operationalized.

Meanwhile, Deb in a letter to Minister for Railways Aswinin Vaishnab raised demand to include pantry car service in Agartala- Deoghar express train (15626- 15626). He also appealed for extending the return of the train by one day for the convenience of the devotees of Sri Sri Thakur Anukul Chandra.