Poll duty keeps vehicles off roads in Tripura

AGARTALA: Roads in Tripura wore a deserted look on Tuesday with most of the vehicles meant for public transport staying off roads as they have been hired by the state election authorities to bring security forces from Guwahati railway station. 

Assam government had initially agreed to provide vehicles for transporting central paramilitary forces to poll-bound Tripura but later refused citing administrative reasons. 

This has left more than 15,000 security personnel of CRPF, CSIF, ITBPand SSB stuck at Guwahati station. 

Tripura government, in order to remedy the situation, began hiring vehicles on urgent basis and even school buses, ambulances and personal cars were not spared. This has left the common people of the state in a lurch and increased passenger woes. 

According to reports, about 1,500 vehicles of different categories are needed to bring the estimated force of 259 companies to the poll-bound state, but Assam's refusal put the department in trouble.