Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, August 11:
The Manipur Transport Joint Coordinating Committee, Imphal has in a meeting today decided to suspend all the passenger services of bus, mini bus, jeep and Tata Sumo including school bus indefinitely form Sunday due to the non-availability of high speed diesel (HSD) in the state.
A joint meeting of transport organisations and vehicle owner held at the Manipur Apex Transport Co-operative Society office at Keishampat this evening discussed the problems of transport services due to the non-availability of diesel.
The meeting convened by the Manipur Transport Joint Co-coordinating Committee unanimously decided to suspend all the passenger services including the school buses from tomorrow.
It however agreed to relax the suspension for those vehicles retuning from the hills tomorrow.
With the suspension of passenger services, the committee has warned that the organisation shall not be responsible for the damages caused to the vehicles which violate the restriction.
A Central Committee comprising the members of the transport organisations and vehicles owners has also been formed in the meeting to effectively carry out the suspension of passenger services.
The members of the committee will strictly check even those vehicles which render their services under the permissible categories like medical and religious services.
Seven takers of petrol, tow of diesel and another two of kerosene arrived in Imphal last night.
Around 1200 transport vehicles are serving in the State.
They consume about six tankers of diesel per day.
According to the officials of the Chingmeirong oil depot, only a little quantity of petrol and diesel are reserved fro the Army, Para-military forces, police and other emergency services.
No excess oil is available for public consumption, they said.
Ibohal, vice chairman of the Manipur Transport Joint Coordinating Committee said that the transport services have to be suspended as the Government has failed to ensure the availability of diesel oil.
The transport operators cannot afford the cost of diesel available in the black market, he added.
A delegation of the committee yesterday met Advisor (R) to the Governor to discuss the issue of fuel scarcity.
Advisor (R) assured to supply the diesel from August 16 as some diesel oil tankers would arrive in Imphal on August 14.He however, said the fuel would be sold through rationing system at some selected oil pumps.