IMPHAL, Sep 30: Leave aside vehicles, there is no room even for pedestrians on Irabot Road which connects BT Road with Rupmahal Tank. The entire breadth of the road which is under the State PWD is occupied by rows and rows of vehicles leaving no room even for pedestrians. Even the footpaths are not spared. It has been accepted far and wide that Lamyanba Hijam Irabot or Jananeta Irabot was the greatest public leader ever born on the soil of Manipur who was committed to equality among mankind.
The then CPI Manipur State Council Secretary M Ibohal raised a proposal to the Imphal Municipal Board on September 16, 1980 to name the road which connects BT Road to Rupmahal Tank as Irabot Road in honour of the great leader. After due consideration, Imphal Municipal Council agreed to name the road as Irabot Road. People need to re-visit the history of why and how the road was named as Irabot Road and at the same examine the existing condition of the road. Considering the existing condition of the road, it would be more appropriate to rename it as Irabot Parking.
It remains a big question whether it is IMC or Transport Department or Police Department which allotted parking spaces throughout the length and breadth of Irabot Road. Although one can hardly see a vacant spot on the roads and lanes of Khwairamband Keithel, it is not clear whether parking fees collected from these places actually reach the Government exchequer or not
