Agartala, Aug 22, 2022, TRIPURATIMES Desk
Agartala, Aug 22: Tripura Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha on Monday flagged-off four highway patrol vehicles for Agartala- Sabroom route.
He flagged-off the new vehicles in presence of Director General of Police Amitabh Ranjan and other senior police officers.
Addressing the programme, Dr. Saha said that the vehicles would help identify the intoxicated drivers by breath analyzer and other modern equipment.
The four vehicles would cover around 140 km highway from Agartala to Sabroom in four districts- West Tripura, Gomati, Sepahijala and South Tripura.
“These four vehicles would remain operational round the clock and help reduce traffic accidents, improve security coverage and enhance police’s response,” the Chief Minister said.
He said, this Agartala to Sabroom highway registers movement of over 90,000 vehicles, according to reports of 2020 to till date. Besides, more 10,000 vehicles from outside also ply on this road.
The number of road accident cases is increasing by 8 per cent every month while the fatalities are increasing by 2.5 per cent, the Chief Minister said. He also stressed on strengthening surveillance to bring the accident cases.
The Chief Minister said that the new Highway Petrol would help reduced transportation of drugs. The state government is contemplating a plan to extend this service up to Dharmanagar, he added.
Later speaking to the media, Dr. Saha said the area, where the BSF man was recently gunned down by the militants, was not covered by barbed wire fencing. The issue of border fencing is an international matter and the centre is already in discussion with the Bangladesh government for fencing the unfenced patches.
“We have already discussed the ways to tackle this kind of situation. We are alert,” Dr. Saha told the reporters.