CM eager to resume public transport service
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, December 26 2023: Citing misunderstanding for the setback suffered by the Manipur State Transport (MST) service recently, Chief Minister N Biren said that the public transport service will resume once there is adequate passenger turnout.

CM N Biren released the annual wall calendar and diary for 2024 of the Directorate of Information and Public Relations (DIPR) at the CM's secretariat in a function on Monday.

Works minister Govindas Konthoujam, IPR minister Dr Sapam Ranjan, social welfare minister Heikham Dingo, IPR commissioner M Joy, director Th Charanjeet, and other officials also attended the function.

Responding to media persons on the sidelines of the function, the CM said that normalcy has returned gradually in the state in the past few months with the unrest situation mainly confined in a couple of hill districts.

Though the initial attempt to resume transport service suffered a setback due to low passenger turnout and some misunderstanding, the government will resume the service once there is adequate passenger turnout, he said.

Regarding law and order situation in Churachandpur and Kangpokpi districts, the CM said that during the peak of the crisis, even security personnel faced several hurdles in their movement but the situation has improved significantly.

Even though the state has been witnessing the impact of the crisis for around eight months, one should understand that the number of violent incidents has reduced significantly and there is no report of fresh casualties, he stressed.

As for the closure of the district borders by ITLF and CoTU, Biren said that these are not recognised bodies.

The government is working towards restoring peace and normalcy by communicating with some Kuki leaders.

The reaction against such attempt from KSO is unfortunate but the government does not want to use force against its people as much as possible.

Despite this, the government will do whatever is needed keeping in view of the volatile situation, he added.

There are several people among the state's native Kukis, who do not want the crisis to continue and the government is working with them.

ITLF and CoTU will come to their sense and choose the path of reconciliation and restoration of peace, he affirmed while urging people of all communities to work together to restore normalcy in the state and facilitate resettlement of the displaced families.

Meanwhile, the Imphal-Churachandpur route MST bus which resumed service after a long break on December 23 returned to Imphal after reaching Kangvai on Tuesday but without any passenger in both onward and return journey.

The MST bus for the route reached Phougakchao Ikhai at 11.15 am and remained stationary at the said location for 15 minutes.

The bus then moved towards Kangvai buffer zone under heavy security cover and reached a spot between Kangvai and Tuibong (Yellow building) at 11.45 am.

After parking there for another 15 minutes, the MST bus returned to Imphal without any passenger, The MST bus service for the route operated under state transport department, however, had no passenger in both the onward from Imphal and return journey.

Notably, the MST bus service between Imphal and Churachandpur and Imphal Mao route via Kangpokpi and Senapati resumed from December 23 as per a government order issued on December 21 .

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