AGARTALA, December 19 (TIWN): Urgent need of hour in Tripura is educated and smart people runnning state administration. Bus conductor turned Transport Minister has no clue even how to tackle sky rocketing air fares from Tripura. Minister has no clue on managing crisis, neither has any skills to dial Delhi and speak in 'English' for 2 minutes. Air travel is not a luxury for Tripura people but an absolute necessity in absence of faster mode of transport with rest of country. Unfortunately, Tripura is endowed with such a Chief Minister that peoples misery gives him more joy. From State Govt employees central scale salary to GB Hospital or medicare of State, same scenery reflected everywhere.

Agartala based NGO 'Agartala Cycle Club faxed letters to PM Modi, AAI Chairman to help in this present crisis of Tripura people.

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 Ref No: ACC/Gen/ 2013-14/                                                                   December 19, 2014

To

Shri Narendra Modi

Hon’ble Prime Minister of India

South Block, Raisina Hill, New Delhi-110011

Ph:   011-23012312 / 23013149 / 23019545; Fax: 011-23016857

Sub: Request for resuming operation of Air India flights in Agartala sector thereof;

Respected Sir,

At the outset I am pleased to introduce, Agartala Cycle Club (ACC), a voluntary organisation to promote non-motorised, pollution free and healthy mode of transportation has been propagating against ill impacts of dependency on motorised vehicles. In three years of our existence, ACC have achieved a good response, support and encouragement from all sections of the society, which virtually compelled us to set our mile-stone little further for proposing a sustainable mode of transportation for the state. ACC is constrained to seek you immediate intervention to come out from the communication fiasco following recent spate of air fleet operation to and from Agartala. 

1.     Tripura is considerably developed and well-managed state in the North-eastern region. But we are poorest in terms of communication link for moving out from Tripura, surrounded by Bangladesh in three sides and chicken-neck lifeline through south Assam. The statistics shows, every day more than 3000 people are going out from Tripura for all better amenities and equal number of people is coming in. After resumption of railway links through Lumding in 2008, the pressure on air link at least for going out to Guwahati and Kolkata has substantially reduced. However, the pressure on air connectivity has gone up because of almost zero passenger movement on road due to non-maintenance of National Highway 44, mostly in hilly parts of Tripura and entire stretch of Assam and Meghalaya. The situation has become worsen, when Northeast Frontier Railway has suspended train service in Agartala-Lumding sections in October 2014 for two years for gauge conversion. Now more than 90 percent of the passenger fleets become solely dependent on air route, just to move out from the state.

2.     It is experienced that in absence of assured, sustainable, sufficient and consistent flight operations of national carrier Air India in Agartala sector, private operators in the name of air service, just looting out the commoners in past two months. Taking the advantage of communicational helplessness of the people of Tripura, private airlines have been squeezing the passengers’ everyday in connivance with some dishonest travel agencies of Tripura and outside. To travel only 310 kilometers on air, the airliners are selling tickets in Rs 5000-17000 in single trip. Unfortunately, both the state and central government machineries are appeared to be diffused and surrendered before the foul business of the private airlines and hoarding to air tickets. ACC could not understand the logic, despite flagging the issue repeated even in the parliament by the state representatives why the bonafide citizens of India living in the remotest part of the country continue to be exploited by the dishonest business groups for the basic need of civilisation like communication.

3.     It is also painful for us, the national carrier Air India, once which was the most preferred and reliable air service provider in Tripura is also disappeared in the scene. When private airliners are simply harassing the passengers including serious patients, Air India becomes a sideliners in the service. Out of eight to and fro air fleets in Agartala sector, Air India shares only two fleets now. Moreover, the flight is not maintaining the schedule in past one month. If Government of India is serious to revive the sinking Air India, Agartala sector is the most promising route for them but nobody has been found interested neither to serve the people nor do the business. Both central and state governments are appeared to be concerned for the private airlines, which we feel uncalled for in India today.

In light of the above, ACC demanded your intervention to start at least four additional Air India flights immediately in Agartala sector in punctual manner to combat the unethical monopoly of the private airlines and their hoarders.

ACC demands, an early morning flight (around 0800 hrs) and late evening flight (around 1900 hrs) from Agartala connecting Kolkata besides, two more flights in day time to and fro Delhi and Guwahati. We believe regular and timely operation of flights in Agartala sector will be the turning point for our national pride Air India. Moreover, unless Air India takes over the responsibility to carry the passengers of northeast to mainland India, the private airlines will continue to cheat the helpless people of the region.

ACC also demands to control the sky scraping business of Air Ticket; the Govt must put an upper and lower cap of ticket price for travel in Agartala Sector considering the communication bottleneck. We must remind your goodself that Air travel in Agartala Sector is not a luxury or amusement but a compulsion.

ACC hopes your kindself will cordial enough to read our sufferings and agony in rational manner and fulfill our demands as soon as possible.

Your kind action in this regard will be considered as the biggest gift for the people of Tripura in New year.

With warmest regards,

Sincerely,

[D Daschaudhuri]

Secretary: ACC         

Copy forwarded to:

Shri Manik Sarkar,

Hon’ble Chief Minister,

Government of Tripura

for his kind perusal and action, if any.

Ref No: ACC/Gen/ 2013-14/                                               December 19, 2014

To

Sri Sudhir Raheja

Hon’ble Chairman, AAI

Rajiv Gandhi Bhawan,

Safdarjung Airport

New Delhi Delhi- 110001

Tel 011- 2463 2930, Fax - 011- 2464 1088

Sub: Regarding service in Agartala Airport thereof;

Sir,

At the outset I am pleased to introduce, Agartala Cycle Club (ACC), a voluntary organisation to promote non-motorised, pollution free and healthy mode of transportation has been propagating against ill impacts of dependency on motorised vehicles. In three years of our existence, ACC have achieved a good response, support and encouragement from all sections of the society, which virtually compelled us to set our mile-stone little further for proposing a sustainable mode of transportation for the state.

ACC is constrained to seek you immediate intervention to improve service in Agartala airport considering that Air travel in Agartala Sector is not a luxury or amusement but a compulsion. The recent incident of inhuman act of Agartala Airport Authority compelled us to describe you the sufferings of common air travelers of our state and put some demands for your perusal and action.

1.     On December 17, 2014, AAI Agartala authority did not allow about 300 passengers to get in Lounge till 2200 hours despite having confirmed travel tickets of SpiceJet flights to Guwahati and Kolkata. In teeth touching winter, the passengers including wheel chair patients, ladies and children were kept outside for 6-7 hours where there is no toilets, drinking water and sitting arrangement. ACC condemned such behavior of the AAI authority in Agartala and considered this is the violation of fundamental human rights of a traveler.

2.     All the airlines are collecting a substantial amount as airport service charge against each ticket. But it appears that except toileting and drinking water, Airport Authority of India (AAI) does not provide any service to the passengers in its premise. Surprisingly, in Agartala airport AAI close down its Restaurant rather allowed couple of private shops to do business at high price.

3.     It is observed that during winter and rainy season, almost all the flights are got delayed in operation inordinately but passengers have to report at least an hour before. But most of passengers can’t afford to buy a cup of tea or simple snacks from the AAI allowed private shops because of their high price.

4.     Besides, doing business by providing service for air fleet operation, AAI also has some corporate social responsibility to its guest travelling in aircrafts. But in Agartala ACC found, there are no amenities for the passengers in the airport in spite of the paying tax.

In the above circumstances, ACC demands necessary directives to AAI authority in Agartala to address the issues and to ensure the basic minimum service to the passengers in the airport at the earliest and also consider opening a small canteen by AAI in the Airport premise for facilitating poor and marginal traveler.

With warmest regards,

Sincerely,

[D Daschaudhuri]

Secretary: ACC        

Copy forwarded for kind information and necessary action to:

Hon’ble Chairman

National Human Rights Commission

Manav Adhikar Bhawan Block-C, GPO Complex,

INA, New Delhi - 110023 

Tel.No. 24651330 Fax No. 24651329 

The Secretary

Department of Transport

New Secretariat Complex, Khejurbagan

Agartala