Ratan Lal Nath placates Melaghar farmers, assures to look into inundated land issue

RISING WATER LEVEL IN RUDRASAGAR

A CORRESPONDENT

AGARTALA: Thousands of farmers of Melaghar are feeling assured after the visit of Education Minister Ratan Lal Nath on Sunday about the reclamation of their lands inundated under waters of Rudrasagar due to the raising of its water level. The Minister’s assurance adhering to the Ramsar Site agreement — an international agreement.

The farmers were agitating against the State government’s decision to raise the water level as per the High Court order. Disposing of a case, the Tripura High Court had ordered the State government to maintain an 11-meter water level which is mandatory as per the Ramsar agreement to which the Government of India is a signatory.

They were alleging that hundreds of acres of privately-owned land also got inundated after raising of the water level. They have been agitating for the last few days which reached into its peak on Saturday when thousands of farmers came down to Melaghar Market, closed all roads and prevented the tourists to approach Neermahal.

Education Minister Ratan Lal Nath on Sunday visited all the villages around Rudrasagar and talked to the local people. He tried to review the gravity of the problem and assured the farmers that the government won’t do anything that might go against their interests. He also told the farmers that the Chief Minister, who is in Delhi now, has sent him to review the situation and a final decision will be taken only after he returns on Tuesday. The farming community also expressed satisfaction over the initiative of the government and assured all sorts of co-operation from their part.

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