Agartala, June 5: The Tripura Guerrilla Returnees’ Demand Committee has withdrawn its proposed rail-road blockade scheduled for June 5 after receiving assurances from the state government on rehabilitation and livelihood-related demands.
The protest was planned to coincide with the visit of Union Home Minister Amit Shah to Agartala and was aimed at pressing a five-point charter of demands, including structured rehabilitation for surrendered militants.
According to officials, the decision to withdraw the agitation followed a meeting chaired by Tribal Welfare Minister Bikash Debbarma with representatives of the committee.
Director of the Tribal Welfare Department Subhasish Das said detailed discussions were held on the demands raised by the group, after which the government assured that their concerns would be addressed.
He said the committee subsequently agreed to call off the planned blockade.
A key point discussed during the meeting was rehabilitation through the Chief Minister’s Rubber Mission, a livelihood initiative designed to provide sustainable income opportunities to former militants through rubber plantation activities.
Officials noted that while the Rubber Board had initially approved 30,000 hectares for rubber cultivation in Tripura, the target was later expanded to 69,000 hectares without a proportional increase in funding support.
The state government has since approached the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) seeking additional financial assistance to implement the project effectively.
A follow-up meeting involving various departments and representatives of surrendered militants is scheduled for June 9 to explore long-term rehabilitation measures.
The withdrawal of the blockade is expected to ensure uninterrupted transport services during the Union Home Minister’s visit and marks a step towards addressing long-pending rehabilitation issues in the state.
