AGARTALA, Nov 15 (TIWN): Public have expressed extreme resentments over the decision taken to shift the War Memorial cannon from Agartala Post Office Chowmuhani to Albert Ekka park.

Although the decision was taken to beautify the area, but public have rejected the idea, asking the Govt to reinstall those cannons. 

Albert Ekka park is located far from the city, where hardly people go and these cannons historically are located in Agartala Post Office Chowmuhani. This decision has hit the public sentiments and mass resentments have been brewed among the public. 

However, DM West Sailesh Yadav in his logic has stated, "Post office Chowmuhani's war memorial which had one tank & one artillery gun captured from East Pakistan during 1971 war has been shifted. Also Army had a small war memorial at Lichubagan dedicated to martyrs of 1971 war. LNk Albert Ekka was awarded Param Veer Chakra for battle of Gangasagar which was a part of 1971 Indo-pak war. He saved Agartala from being captured by erstwhile East Pakistan. It was a long standing demand of Indian Army to make a big war memorial combining both of these war memorials. Army & Sainik board raised this issue in front of CM Biplab Deb after new Govt came to Power in 2018. The project was taken up under Smart City Mission after open tender at a cost of Rs 4.83 Crore. The Albert Ekka War memorial is already under construction at Lichubagan. The replica of existing 40 feet victory pillar at Post office Chowmuhani has been constructed at Lichubagan park. The tank & the artillery gun have been shifted from Post office Chowmuhani to Alber Ekka war memorial on newly constructed granite base. This has been done after written permission from Sainik Board & several consultations over last one year with Indian Army authorities. The post office Chowmuhani with an existing diameter of 28 metres is reason for traffic jams in the area. The Post office Chowmuhani will be reconstructed with a reduced diameter of 18 metres on the theme of Tree of Life under the same project of Smart City Mission. Also as per information obtained from Brigadier (Retd) JP Tiwari of State Sainik Board, the tank & the gun which have been shifted today have no connection with erstwhile king of Tripura. Some unscrupulous elements are spreading rumours regarding this to create a communal disharmony.  The only aim is to fulfill the longstanding demand of Armed Forces to create a befitting war memorial for the 1971 war & Alber Ekka, a demand which remained unfulfilled for decades".  

As per DM, Post Office Chowmuhani will look like this after SMART city construction.