6 Kangpokpi buses head for Jiri to ferry stranded folks
Source: The Sangai Express
Kangpokpi, May 23 2020:
Efforts of Kangpokpi police yesterday to requisition six buses finally paid off as Emmanuel, Moiching, Kainou, Jehovah Jairi, Biswas and Bibi Sangboboi buses left Kangpokpi at around 7.40 am today for Jiribam to bring back stranded Kangpokpi people who are expected to reach Jiribam railway station in the coming few days.
Kangpokpi police led by Addl SP (Ops) Lalminlen Misao, MPS and coordinated by OC Kangpokpi, Inspector Khogen and 2nd OC Minboi Vaiphei under the supervision of SP Hemant Pandey had to spend the whole night yesterday to requisition the six buses.
To hire vehicle mainly buses is not an easy task during this lockdown as all the drivers of Kangpokpi buses had gone to their respective villages despite the buses being with the owners at the district headquarters.
The information to requisition the buses was received at around 8.30 last night with the instruction that the buses have to reach Langjing at Imphal latest by 10 today.
Despite the late information, Kangpokpi swung into action immediately with the assistance of the local youth KYU and some district administration staff.
From Hengjang near Saparmeina police station to Kangpokpi district headquarters, the police started the requisition and finally wound up at around 7 am today at Kangpokpi DHQs.
Later, at around 7.40 am, the six buses were flagged off from Kangpokpi police check post at IT Road after fuel was provided by Kangpokpi police till Imphal.
All the drivers and handymen were also provided full Personal Protection Equipments by Kangpokpi police while they were also clearly briefed by OC Kangpokpi to take personal care and protection while ferrying the stranded people.
Speaking to media persons, Inspector Khogen said "we had a hard time requisitioning the vehicles but we are extremely happy that pon the vehicle owners and the drivers and handymen understood the situation and politely came forward to serve the people at this critical juncture" .
Meanwhile, the vehicle owners of Kangpokpi said that had they been given at least one day for preparation, they could have easily arranged the drivers and handymen along with the vehicles while adding that it is next to impossible to bring back the drivers and handymen at odd hours within few hours.
The bus owners also said that since the beginning of the lockdown, the vehicles were keep standing still while the drivers and handymen had gone to their respective places to find another temporary job to earn their livelihood.
They also said that the battery of the buses by now down and it was hard to start it.
Kangpokpi police who went to requisition had to push some buses to start it as the batteries of the vehicles were down.
Meanwhile, it was informed that three buses with 84 stranded Kangpokpi people from Chennai had left Jiribam for Kangpokpi district headquarters.