State Govt makes no demand for NHPF: Unions
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, May 24 2013 :
Giving an account of the meeting with Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde in New Delhi on May 17, Chairman of Coordinating Body of Trade Unions, Manipur L Sotinkumar has disclosed that the State government has not raised any demand for establishment of National Highway Protection Force (NHPF) to the Centre despite strong public demand.
He said that the disclosure was made by Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde to the representatives of Trade Unions during the meeting in New Delhi.
The Union Home Minister was very much aware of the prevailing situation along the National Highways, but he admitted that the State Government has not raised any issue for establishment of NHPF to the Centre, Sotinkumar said.
He further informed that the representatives of Trade Unions apprised the Union Home Minister of the conditions of both the National Highways of the State and submitted a memorandum containing a charter of eight demands.
Home Minister Shinde made a firm assurance of giving every possible help from the Central government for improvement of the National Highways.
The representatives of Coordinating Body of Trade Unions, Manipur namely Chairman L Sotin Kumar and Convenor Kshetrimayum Santa along with the General Secretary of All India Trade Union Congress Gurudas Dasgupta (Member of Parliament) submitted the memorandum containing a charter of eight demands for improvement of the two National Highways of the State to Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde in New Delhi on May 17 .
The memorandum was submitted in the name of the Coordinating Body of Trade Unions, Manipur and Other Motor Workers, Owners and Transporters' Organizations of Manipur.
The charter of demands mentioned in the memorandum were related to setting up of a permanent Highway Protection Force, utilizing Military Engineering Department under the Ministry of Defense for improvement of NH-37, giving compensations to the deceased and injured motor workers, reduction of the number of check points along the National Highways, prevention of harassment by police, prevention of illegal tax collection by armed outfits and setting up of medical teams with ambulances at every 50 kilometers along the National Highways.