Government imposes ban on night movement of vehicles along NH102
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, March 20 2015 :
Manipur government has imposed restriction on night plying of vehicles on the hilly section of National Highway (NH) � 102 .
The action of the Government was based on the report of Assam Rifles (AR) that the stretch is being used by various insurgent groups for illegal transportation of weapons and explosives.
According to source, Manipur Government has issued the notice for restriction on March 3 and the notice reads "movement of goods and passenger vehicles from Pallel to Moreh and vice-versa, that is, Moreh to Pallel will not be allowed from 6 pm to 5 am on all days" .
The check gate at Pallel will remained closed for vehicles and passenger moving from Pallel to Moreh at 4.30 pm and at Khudengthabi for Moreh to Pallel at 5 pm.
The notice though exempted vehicles on Government duty, vehicles carrying patients, vehicles with special permission from home department and other emergency related vehicles and passengers have been spared from the restrictions.
It may be recalled that the action of the Government of Manipur and the request from Assam Rifles (AR) for a review and place suitable restriction on vehicular traffic at night in the overall "national interest" comes at time where a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by an individual praying to allow hassle free movement along Imphal-Moreh section of NH-102 is pending with the High Court of Manipur.
In response to the PIL, High Court of Manipur has directed the Government of Manipur to file an affidavit on the cost involved in installation of required machinery.
In the report submitted to the government to initiate measures to control the movement along the highway AR justified the claim with the argument that AR authority have recovered large quantity of arms and ammunition, explosives during frisking and checking of vehicles on NH-102 and arrested many cadres of insurgent groups in the recent time.
While issuing the order, the state home department justifies the action on the basis that "it is essential to check all the vehicles passing on NH-102 and frisk the persons travelling on NH 102 leading to and from Indo-Myanmar border in order to ensure national security" .
However, sufficient machinery and equipment required for automated checking and screening of vehicles and personnel is not yet installed at various check posts on NH-102, resulting in manual checking added the order.
On the other hand, manual checking of goods and passenger vehicles and frisking of passengers is not practically possible after sunset in the absence of automated systems and equipment and there is likelihood of carrying illegal weapons and explosives and movement of cadres of insurgent groups unless reasonable restrictions are imposed on movement of vehicles and passengers after sunset argued the order.
In the present circumstances, Government of Manipur was satisfied that reasonable restrictions need to be imposed on movement of goods and passenger vehicles on NH-102 after sunset.
As such, the state government imposed the restrictions, said the source referring to the order of the state home department.