BELONIA, July 22 (TIWN): Highway woes have now even taken its toll on the sub-divisions too. It is to be mentioned here that when the entire state is hit with prolonged petrol crisis, Belonia petrol pump is running dry without petrol and diesel for past 9 days.

Although the other petrol pumps were supplied with petrol over an interval of at least one or two days but Belonia Samabay petrol pump is running dry without petrol supply for last 9 consecutive days.

As regular vehicle movement is yet to begin smoothly on the crippled NH8(44), state is facing acute crisis of petrol. Sudden crisis of petrol in the state with the blockade of the NH8(44)  is due to immovable condition of the road and ultimately common man are paying for it today.

However, agitated consumers of Belonia on Friday blocked the Belonia-Santirbazar and Belonia-Udaipur road against the prolonged crisis of petrol at Belonia petrol pump for last 9 days. Traffic movement was highly disrupted for more than hours following the road blockade.

The situation is almost similar in the capital city.  All the petrol pumps of Agartala city along with the petrol pumps at the sub-divisions were found hanging ‘No Petrol’ board since past few days. Long queues are witnessed in front of the petrol pumps in the several petrol pumps of the state.

On the one hand the petrol pumps are running dry but outside petrol pump in black market it is abundantly available with double cost for 200rs per litre. Outside in the black­ market petrol was available at Rs. 130 to 150 per liter but that is also adulterated with kerosene. Most of the filling stations have put the board of no petrol but actually there is oil.

Tripura Civil Supplies Dept under inept Minister Bhanu lal Saha and his lameduck Director Soumitra Bandopadhay is responsible for utter mismanagement of fuel crisis which paralyzed State's transportation.

NH 8 (44) which is known as lifeline of landlocked Tripura has been extensively damaged due to State PWD’s negligence, resulting petrol/ diesel crisis inside the state.

Taking the advantage the opportunist are fully utilizing the scarcity by selling the petrol by black marketing. The petrol dealers of the State were emerging in a new trend to earn more money through black marketing which causes artificial petrol crisis in the State.