Rajnath apprised about highway woes
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, February 14 2015 : Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh was today apprised about all the unlawful and anti-social acti-vities which take place at National Highways in Manipur.

Former Speaker Dr H Borbabu and ex-candidate N Ratan (Kapu) today called on the visiting Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh at Raj Bhavan.

Talking with the Union Home Minister for almost 40 minutes, Dr Borbabu and Ratan highlighted that certain UG groups have been collecting illegal taxes from passen- ger vehicles and goods carriers along National Highways incessantly.

The rates of these illegal taxes range from Rs 500 to Rs.5000 per vehicle either way on the Imphal to Dima-pur route and also on the Imphal to Jiribam and Imphal-Moreh routes.

These three routes play a pivotal role in the economy and general well being of the people of the State.

The continued silence on the existence of this parallel administration has led to disillusionment amongst the people of the State, they pointed out.

Even militant groups which have signed SoO pact with the Government are also involved in this racket.

Besides the armed militant outfits, Manipur Police as well as Nagaland Police have been levying hefty sums as transit fees from every commercial vehicle plying along these routes.

Dr Borbabu and N Ratan sought immediate intervention of the Union Home Ministry to end this nuisance and harassment once for all.

Urging for establishment of a Manipur Regiment, the duo claimed that establishing the Manipur Regiment would mean giving recognition to a people who for centuries have been guarding the frontiers of this great country.

The Manipuris had fought battles with the Chinese, the Burmese and finally with the British.

It was also due to the role of late Maharaja Gambhir Singh that the Burmese were compelled to sign the Treaty of Yandaboo in 1826 whereby the entire North Eastern region barring Manipur and Tripura got to be incorporated into British India in 1826 and today as a part of the great Indian Republic.

Raising the Manipur Regiment would give a profound sense of participation in the country's defence besides creating employment opportunities for thousands of youths.

"If a Naga Regiment could be created, we see no reason as to why a Manipur Regiment cannot be raised", they asserted.

They also sought the Home Minister's attention towards extension of Saurashtra to Silchar Expressway up to Moreh.

This extension would link India from the shores of the Arabian Sea to the Myanmarese border besides initiating a quantum leap in trade and commerce and general connectivity of Manipur with the rest of the country.

Reminding that Manipur used to receive a sum of 500 Sikas per month from the then Burmese kingdom for use of the Kabaw Valley by them following the Treaty of Yandaboo l826, Dr Borbabu and N Ratan pointed out that this payment was arbitrarily waived off by Pundit Jawaharlal Nehru, the then Prime Minister of India in 1953 without consulting the Parliament of India or the people of Manipur.

The Government of India should urge upon the present of Government of Myanmar to either resume paying the sum of 500 Sikas in its present value or to return the Kabaw Valley to its original owner, Manipur.

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