Reaction to UG's demand
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, October 08 2010:
Vans and Tata Sumos suspended taxi services on the Imphal-Moreh section of NH-39 following unbearable monetary demands from an underground outfit.
The service was suspended from yesterday, reports said.
The suspension of taxi services has come just after the lifting of the indefinite bandh imposed by Moreh based students' bodies, and it has caused immense inconveniences to small time traders.
A reliable report said that the particular outfit has been collecting Rs 2500 to Rs 3000 per van or Tata Sumo plying this section of the highway as "annual tax" payable to the outfit.
They do the work of collecting the 'tax' at Moreh.
But activists of the same outfit in Imphal have demanded that the same amount of "tax" be paid in Imphal too.
Unable to bear with this demand, the vans and Tata Sumos decided to stop their passenger service from yesterday, the report said.
A report from police at Moreh said that Vans and Tata Sumos were seen leaving Moreh town yesterday morning but most of them did not arrive at Imphal.
Earlier, around 200 vans and 250 Tata Sumos were operating taxi services on the Imphal-Moreh section of NH-39 .
But only around 100 are in service as most of them stopped service owing to huge monetary demands from over a dozen underground groups operating in the state.
The suspension of passenger service has caused great inconveniences to small time traders who used this service for their business.
Even though taxi services of Vans and Tata Sumos were suspended, other commercial service vehicles like buses, trucks and DI Tatas are still plying on this route without any disturbance.
Interestingly, buses in service on this route are not carrying passengers.
Instead most of them have removed the seats to facilitate loading of goods as they have not been able to attract passengers.
Most of them are engaged in ferrying wood furniture which is in high demand in Imphal and also at other places in the state.