IMPHAL, May 23: On behalf of the National Highway 53 Truck owners’ association, Kh Inaoba the President of the body has appealed to all the sections of state not to call bandhs, blockades and the counter blockades along the national highways of the state as it is the people who suffer the most.
Kh Inaoba also made the point that in the last some years, people of the state have been witness to various kinds of agitation in the forms of bandhs, blockades and counter blockades called by various frontal organizations, student groups and the civil society groups of the state in both the hills and valley during which, many vehicles carrying essential items for the state were damaged and even burnt down.
Appealing further to all groups to go in for alternate means of agitation, he called on all groups to work together as one without harming the interest of the people of the state. “It is the people who suffer and more so, especially the poor and those live in the interior parts of the state when the prices of essential items gets hiked during bandhs and blockades,” he said.
He further appealed to groups not to disturb and give harassment to the truckers plying along the national highways of the state, which are in the worst condition. “The truckers are only serving the people of the state and it is very unfortunate that their vehicles are often damaged by agitators,” he said.
He further added that the owners of around 10 trucks which were burnt down during the bandh and blockade last year are still to be compensated as assured by the state government and also appealed to the state government to set up the highways protection force and proper ROP along the highways.