IMPHAL, May 13: The indefinite Chakka bandh along National Highway-37 will be called off from mid-night today after an assurance from the Chief Secretary to begin the road development within two weeks.
According to the secretary of the Joint Forum for Transport Welfare (JFTW) Daimei Joseph, the demands of the forum were discussed in a meeting with Chief Secretary PC Lawmkunga at his office chamber in Old Secretariat and thereby he requested the forum to withdraw the chakka bandh if only for two weeks promising quick action from the government along the road.
We decided to call off the agitation from the mid-night today honouring the request made by the Chief Secretary. But if our demands are not met within two weeks, the agitations will resume again with more intensity, he informed the media.
Land and properties owners Association NH-37 and 39 SK Adipou said that an agreement was reached with the Chief Secretary under the condition that the road development work from Khongsang to Tamenglong would be handed over to BRO, adding that the concerned authority must release the compensation to the land owners who have been affected by the road-widening work done to upgrade the road into a double lane.
The meeting started in 2 pm and lasted till 4 pm today with Cheif Secretary PC Lawmkunga and Principal Secretary (Works) Ram Muivah representing the government while Village Authority Council of Tamenglong chairman Athaubou Pamei, JFTW secretary Dainmei Joseph, and other six official members representing the agitators.
The indefinite chakka bandh on National Highway-37 was imposed by Joint Forum for Transport Welfare Association, Tamenglong District from the mid-night of May 7 due to the government’s failure to provide any positive response to the growing demand for the development of Tamenglong to Khongsang Road.
