Agartala: The Union Minister of State for Ports, Shipping and Waterways (independent charge), Mansukh Mandaviya, will arrive in Agartala on Saturday on a two-day visit to inspect the floating jetty and proposed location for the construction of a permanent RCC jetty at Sonamura in Sepahijala district.
Sources from the BJP said Mandaviya would arrive in Maharaja Bir Bikram (MBB) Airport in Agartala around 8:30 am.
“The union minister will meet the chief minister in a courtesy call at his residence and later hold a press conference in the BJP state party office which would be followed by a conference with the industry members in the state guest house on Saturday,” the sources said.
Later in the afternoon, Mandaviya will leave for Sonamura in Sepahijala district where he will visit the inland waterways port.
“The minister will inspect the available facilities for the warehouse of Land Port Authority of India customs and hold discussions at the site with officials of the government of Tripura, Land Port Authority of India (LPAI), Indian Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) and other stakeholders,” the senior leader said.
In the evening the meeting will again hold a meeting with officials of the government of Tripura, LPAI, IWAI and stakeholders, PPT by HRS IWAI officials in the state guest house.
Also Read: Indo-Bangla inland water trade protocol route: Tripura completes work on floating jetty
During his visit to Agartala, Mandaviya will be accompanied by Nandish Pethani, Advisor, Indian Port Association.
The Sonamura-Daudkhandi stretch of Gumti River (93 km) was approved as India-Bangladesh protocol route on May 21, 2020, with the signing of 2nd addendum in Dhaka by Riva Ganguly Das, high commissioner of India in Bangladesh, and Mohammed Mezbah Uddin Chowdhury, secretary to the ministry of shipping, Bangladesh.
The Sonamura-Daudkandi inland waterways protocol route became operational on September 5 last year as the Tripura chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb received the first vessel here at Sonamura port.
The small vessel in its first trial run left from Munshiganj through river Meghna in Bangladesh carrying 10 tons of cement from Premier Cement Company of Bangladesh.
Also Read: Tripura: Indo-Bangla protocol route gets operational as trial-run vessel reaches Sonamura
