Imphal, July 04 2010: Following attack on the trucks plying the NH 53 by thugs injuring a driver seriously, the drivers' body today threatened to stop plying the highway if the government does not deploy adequate security force for protection of the travellers on the Imphal-Jiribam road.

Hoodlums last night smashed windshields of at least five vehicles heading towards Silchar from Imphal in Noney areas in Tamenglong district, about 41 km from Imphal.

In the attack, a driver sustained serious injuries in the bridge of his nose and eye, official reports said.

Police suspect the attackers to be volunteers of certain civil organisations based in the area who object to the government's decision to take over the charge of maintenance and improvement of the highway from the BRTF and hand over the same to the state Public Works Department (PWD) .

Miscreants attacked the trucks leaving Imphal for Silchar last night at about 8.30 pm near the Peace Camp area, about 1 km before reaching Noney from Imphal.

In the stone attack, windshields of at least five trucks were shattered, police said.

Asem Sanayaima (48), a resident of Thoubal Haokha in Thoubal district, driver of one of the smashed trucks bearing registration No.MN-04A-8072, sustained injuries in the bridge of his nose and eye in the stoning.

With the bone of the bridge of his nose fractured, he has been hospitalised after getting first aids from the CRPF camp at Awang Khul on NH-53 .

Taking serious note on the injuring of the driver and stoning trucks, the Manipur Drivers' Welfare Union today demanded deployment of adequate security forces on the stretch of the NH-53 .

Adequate numbers of dedicated security forces should be deployed on the stretch of the highway.

Otherwise, the union may be compelled to launch steering down strike, Tomba Singh, the general secretary of the union said strongly condemning the act of the miscreants.

Yesterday's incident of targeting truckers even in the normal situation where there any sort of agitations like bandh or blockade was not the first case in the recent time.

There was an instance of assaulting truck drivers on the same stretch for not paying Rs 2000 each collected by miscreants.

This has raised questions of life security of truckers on this route too as Central security forces deploying on the stretch failed to response to the plight of the truckers and vehicles even lodge complaint to them to prevent such anti-social activities, he said.

Adequate state dedicated security personnel should be deployed instead of Central security forces, he demanded.

He further demanded accelerating the improvement works of the NH-53 currently taken up by the BRTF and PWD observing slow progress.

The dilapidated condition of the highway is another problems facing by the truckers while taking the route.

"We have been endorsing the decision not to ply truckers on the NH-39" but if the condition of the NH-53 fails to improve from the present conditions, it will not be possible to resume normal ferry of commodities on this route, he went on to observe.

Meanwhile, volunteers of Transporters' and Drivers' Council (TDC) today prevented a Maruti Van from lifting passengers to drop upto Mao on the NH-39 .

Reports said that the van bearing registration no.MN1W-2743 was intercepted by the volunteers at North AOC while picking up the passengers at about 11.30 am.

They deflated the tyres of the vehicle and left with hard warning not to do the act in future.

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