Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, January 31 2010:
Plying of all kinds of vehicles along the stretch of the Imphal-Mao section of the NH-39 in Senapati district was suspended Sunday as the five day chakka bandh strike imposed by the Senapati District Students' Association (SDSA) took effect from last midnight.
The SDSA is imposing the bandh in protest against government failure to translate into action the agreement signed with the government with regard to the repairing of highly deteriorated condition of the stretch of the highway portion in Senapati district and opening of two fire service station at Maram and Tadubi.
Owing to the chakka bandh strike, many vehicles including inter-state passenger buses coming from outside the state were stranded at Khuzuma near Mao on Nagaland side.
They reached there this morning, reports said.
Reports received from Mao said that till 2 pm of today, four goods laden trucks including a bullet tanker (carrying LPG), three inter-state buses and some taxis and mini trucks were stranded at Mao gate apart from those stranded on the Nagaland side.
The number of stranded vehicles at Khuzuma, the last gate to Manipur on Nagaland side could not be ascertained even though state police have the report of vehicle stranding there.
Senapati bound passenger buses from Imphal also suspended their services for the day but normal services upto Kangapokpi was unaffected by the bandh.
The chakka bandh which would be followed by indefinite blockade, a statement of the students body signed by its president A Pfokrehra Khrasi, reiterated that it is against repeated failure of the state government to develop the NH-39 .
The stir will go ahead as per schedule announced earlier, the SDSA announced stating that all vehicles including private, inter-district and inter-state bus services, empty trucks and commercial vehicles will be kept within the purview.
However, medical, religious purposes, education, fire service, military, electricity, press and other essential services are exempted from the purview of the chakka bandh.