Rally staged against illegal tax, extortion from truck drivers
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, March 17 2024:
A mass rally was staged by Meira Paibis on Sunday against the levying of illegal taxes and extortion from truck drivers transporting stones and sand in Tumukhong, Moirangpurel and Itam areas.
During the rally which started from Moirangpurel Community Hall, the Meira Paibis shouted slogans such as, "Stop levying illegal tax on trucks", "Stop harassing public", "Let us work freely", "Relevant authorities should look into illegal taxes & extortion from truck drivers", etc.
Speaking on the sidelines, a Meira Paibi said that most of the residents of Tumukhong, Moirangpurel and Itam areas are workers who earn their livelihood by quarrying sands/ stones from the river.
Alleging that armed miscreants have been demanding money ranging from Rs 8,000 to 10,000 from every truck driver, she asserted that such rampant extortion activities have made it impossible for the transporters to continue operations.
She continued that such illegal taxes & harassment have added to the suffering of the daily wage earners & labourers who are already reeling due to the prolonged conflict which has been going on in Manipur.
She further appealed to the authorities concerned to look into the matter to protect the lives and rights of the poor & weaker sections of the society.