A day after The Pioneer highlighted the predicament of family members and villagers of lance Nayak Albert Ekka in travelling to Agartala, the Government took firm cognizance of the issue on Thursday.
One of the team members and Tribal Advisory Council Member Ratan Tirkey
was called at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat and got confirmation about the State sponsored trip.
“I got a call this morning from Additional Secretary Jeetvahan Oraon for a meeting. They have okayed seven names forwarded by us to travel to Tripura. Besides, one JCO from the Army and a deputy secretary rank official from the State Government would accompany us,” said Tirkey.
As per the earlier plan, wife of the martyr Balamdina Ekka, their son Vincent Ekka some other family members and priests of his native village Jhari of Gumla district were to leave for Agartala on December 25. But since the delay has taken place, the team is now expected to board the train after Christmas.
“Since there was no sufficient time left in Alber Ekka’s birth anniversary they requested that the trip can take place later this month,” said Tirkey. It was planned to visit the grave of the Paramveer Chakra awardee at Agartala on December 27, the day when his birth anniversary falls.
The Government by attaching officials has also ensured for arrangements for the entire contingent at Kolkata and Agartala and if required to Ganga Sagar in West Bengal where the brave solder had laid down his life in the line of duty during the 1971 Indo-Pakistan war.
The team would be visiting the places of relevance for bringing the soil attached to the martyr existing over there.
The team comprising Balamdina, her son Vincent Ekka and daughter in law, Ratan Tirkey, local priest Prakash Tete, villager Joseph Tirkey and few others figured in the team.
Earlier, the family members of the war hero and locals had refused to accept the soil reportedly brought from his grave from Agartala doubting its veracity. Even CM Raghubar Das who had flown there to handover the holy remains to the family had to face a stiff resistance at Jhari.