IMPHAL, June 15: The All Manipur Road Transport Drivers and Motor Workers Union and the United Clubs National Highway 37 today announced their support to the Transporters and Drivers Council’s deadline of June 16 for the Food Corporation of India, Regional Office, NMR, General Manager to revoke or change his recent notification regarding transportation of essential supplies into the state.
Speaking to media persons this evening at the Gandhi Avenue office of the All Manipur Road Transport Drivers and Motor Workers Union the President of United Clubs NH 37 Thongam Shyama said, the General Manager, FCI regional office had notified on June 9 that 80 percent of essential commodities supply to the state will be made from Dimapur along the NH 2 while the remaining 20 percent will be done from Jiribam along the NH 37.
Reacting to the June 9 notification, the Transporters’ and Drivers’ Council had announced on the June 12 that until the General Manager revokes or make changes of the notification by June 16, the council will not allow any unloading of goods at both the Sangaiprou and Koirengei FCI godowns from June 18, he said.
The said notification could create a great disturbance among the people of the state, he said.
He further urged the concerned authorities to establish a new regional office in the state, and said, if the government fails to listen to the appeal, then there is no need for the existence of FCI in the state.
He further continued that transporters have been appealing to the state authorities to repair the parking at Sagolband Langing Achouba to accommodate the drivers who are from other states. The drivers are facing untold miseries due to the lack of facilities including toilets in the parking, he said.
United Club NH 37 advisor H Angou said that the transporters had to pay heavy taxes while loading goods from Dimapur, whereas the Jiribam route is free of such tax collections and the drivers can move more freely along the said route.
Meanwhile, AMRTDAMWU general secretary H Kulamani said the two bodies will fully support the TDC stance and added that the people of the state were greatly affected by a 120 days long economic blockade along the NH 2.
He continued that the improvement of the NH 37 had started only after much appraisal from the general public.
At such a juncture to neglect NH 37 and completely rely on NH 2 for transportation of essential commodities into the state would not be feasible.
Passing through NH 2, a six wheel or eight wheel truck has to pay Rs 8000 while 10 wheelers and above had to pay Rs 18000 annually as tax.
Nagaland based underground outfits take Rs 23000 from a truck carrying edible oil and Rs 17000 from a truck carrying iron along the route, he said.
However since the last two three years the transporters have stop paying such taxes as they have started using the NH 37, he said.
He further appealed to the people of the state to support their stand and continued that anyone defying the collective stand of the transporters should bear the consequence of any untoward incident.