Agartala
Tripura farmar Swapan Debbarma, a jhumia hailing from Atharamura Hill range of Dhalai district, was rewarded Rs 50,000 by a coaching institute, School of Science,.
Earlier, the Tripura Assembly passed a unanimous resolution proposing Debbarma’s name for the President’s bravery award and a government job to recognise his heroic effort in saving an Agartala-bound train from a major accident on June 15 last.
“A formal letter, along with the resolution, will be sent to the Centre soon,” said State Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ratan Lal Nath.
Since his heroic act came to light, several organisations and individuals here have come forward to salute Debbarma.
The cheque for Rs 50,000 was handed over to Debbarma by the principal of School of Science, Abhijit Bhattcharjee, at a function in the presence of Swamy Hitakamananda, the secretary of Ramkrishan Mission, editor of a local daily Subal Kumar Dey, and secretary of the Agartala Press Club, Pranab Sarkar.
On June 15, Debbarma and his minor daughter, Sumati, saved the lives of passengers by stopping the train near Ambassa by holding up his torn shirt after he noticed that the railway tract on the Agartala-Dharmanagar route near Ambassa had been damaged due to heavy rains.