JD (U) slams Govt for frequent blockades
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, December 05 2015 :
Failure of the State and the Central Government in addressing legitimate demands of the public has led to frequent economic blockades along the National Highways that link the State with the rest of the country, stated president of JD (U) Manipur M Tombi.
Briefing media persons at JDU office located at Babupara, Tombi said that Jiribam District Demand Committee (JDDC) has called an indefinite economic blockade along the Imphal-Jiribam National Highway while Sadar Hills based civil societies under Senapati have called the economic blockade along the Imphal-Dimapur National Highway expressing strong displeasure against the Manipur Government for alleged negligence of their demand for repairing the deplorable highway.
He said that almost all the demands of the public is very genuine and if the authorities concerned had fulfilled the demands of the public in time there would not be anything such as 'economic blockade' .
Condemning the recent incident of torching down of two trucks at Jiribam, Tombi urged the agitators not to take law into their hands.
He said that it is time for both the Central and the State Governments to step up efforts to stop the frequent economic blockades on the National Highways.
National Highway Protection Force should be set up to prevent any untoward incidents in future, he added.
The State Government should enforce the 'rule of law' by taking up extreme measures that use economic blockade along the national highway as their tools to press their demands.
Meanwhile, general secretary of JD (U), Lien Gangte said that frequent economic blockades along the national highways are responsible for the underdevelopment of the State as the blockades affect normal life and the State economy at large.
He urged the State Government to enact policies for transporters and drivers, highway protection Act, anti-economic blockade Act etc.
Claiming that almost all the national highways are in pathetic conditions, Lien asked the Works and Transport Minister of the State to resign on moral ground as he (the minister) failed to provide proper transport facilities to the public.