Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, November 29:
Traffic along the two National Highways came to a grinding halt today on account of the 48-hour total bandh called since 5 am today in protest against attachment of Tousem Sub-Division under Tamenglong district to the Divisional Forest Office of Jiribam sub-division of Imphal East District bordering Assam.
The bandh is being called by the Joint Action Committee for Protection of Tamenglong District (JACPTD) formed by various social organisations of the district.
Instead of attaching Tousem Sub-Division to the Divisional Forest Office of Jiribam, the Committee demanded its alignment with the Divisional Forest Office at Tamenglong and other related matters.
All the inter-State passenger buses and goods trucks bound for Dimapur (NH-39) and Silchar (NH-53) remained stationed at Imphal while goods laden trucks and passenger buses coming from Dimapur towards Imphal were stranded at Mao Gate.
Police sources said stranded vehicles numbering around 194 including 124 loaded trucks, 16 LPG carriers, 54 oil tankers and some passenger buses were brought to Imphal along with security escort later in the evening.
The bandh ,however, did not affect the passenger bus serves within Imphal West and Thoubal districts.
The move to switch Tousem SubDivision to Tamenglong district DFO from Jiribam comes in the wake of the State's preparedness to convert Jiribam Sub-Division into a full-fledged revenue district.
Various Tamenglong based civil organisations and a number of village councils said JACPTD is not against the conversion of Jiribam to a full-fledged revenue district but is against the indifferent attitude of the State Government towards the Committee's numerous requests to attach Tousem Sub-Division to the Tamenglong district DFO.
Among other points JACTP has demanded that Tousem Sub-Division be given to the control of DFO Tamenglong.