Court suspended as fuel stock runs dry
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, August 17 2011:
With the ongoing general strike of SHDDC in demand of a full-fledged Sadar Hills district completely paralyzing both National Highway since the past 17 days and pushing a flashpoint, the Gauhati High Court, Imphal Bench' whose employees have decided to close down the court for two days due to shortage of fuel.
The High Court Bar Association today decided to suspend work for two consecutive days at its office in Imphal following acute shortage of petrol and diesel triggered by the ongoing general strike across Sadar Hills.
Vice president of HCBA and senior advocate Dhananjoy said since the bar members are facing problems of commuting due to fuel shortage all works in the Imphal Bench of the Gauhati High Court will remained suspended for two consecutive days on August 18 and 19 .
But he was quick to point out to obviate misconstruction that the step to suspend work has nothing to do with the association's position for-or-against the demand by SHDDC for a full fledged district of Sadar Hills but simply to unburden the employees of the rising cost of commuting to and fro the office given the shortage of fuel and its consequent rise in price in the black market.
The office of the Imphal Bench of the Gauhati High Court will reopen on Tuesday August 23 but if the situation of fuel shortage still persists after reopening, the suspension may be extended, the senior advocate added.
The ongoing general strike led by SHDDC since August 1, demanding immediate declaration of Sadar Hills as a full-fledged district, has triggered severe fuel scarcity in the state with the people flocking petrol and diesel service stations in hordes.
Long and tedious queues have been witnessed in all service stations across the state especially during the past few days, generating panic, besides escalating prices of all essential commodities.
It is worth noting that the economic blockade was begun on the midnight of July 31, tentatively for seven days, quickly turned into an indefinite general strike across Sadar Hills.