Jiribam pledges against intoxicants
Source: The Sangai Express / Laishram Shamungou

Jiribam, January 10: Transporters plying along the New Cachar road have decided not to carry any items related to narcotic substances including tobacco, alcohol, betel leaf, etc in their vehicles.

A decision to this effect was arrived at during a public meeting at Jiribam Public Hall here this afternoon.

The meeting was organised by the Imphal-Silchar Road Transporters' Welfare Society, Jiribam Branch and was sponsored by the ImphalSilchar Road Transporters' Welfare Society (ISRTWS), Manipur.

An anti-intoxicants rally being staged at Jiribam in Imphal East distrtct

The meeting attended by SDPO Jiribam S Manimohon Singh as chief guest and ISRTWS Imphal president RK Anilkumar as functional president further resolved that any transporter who smuggled the narcotic substances along this route should be ready to face with consequences.

Further, if the owners of the transport vehicles or any related person happens to found carrying the banned substances, they will be expelled from the Society.

There will also be frequent checking of the vehicles coming from outside along the route to prevent smuggling of the narcotic substances jointly by the volunteers of society, representatives of NGOs, the meeting also resolved.

Before commencement of the meeting, representatives of various Meira Paibi Lups, students and volunteers of the various NGOs operating in the Jiribam Sub-division took out a mass rally from Lamkhai Bazar Sorok Atingbi, Jiribam.

After proceeding till the Netaji Statue roundabout, the rallyists who carried placards and banners with slogans like 'Let us March together against narcotic substances', 'Wake up people of the world, let us save ourselves from the ocean of narcotic drugs', 'No to drugs, yes to life', etc converged at the meeting venue.

Addressing the meeting, SDPO, Jiribam S Manimohon expressed his heart felt thanks to the transporters' society for coming out bravely against narcotic substances and drugs in this critical juncture of drug problems in the State.

He observed that it has been generally learnt that there had banned of various tobacco items, drugs, liquors and other narcotic substances by various organisations and civil society in the State, but these banned items are being continuing coming in from outside by the transporters as black items.

So the stand of the ISRTWS to stop carrying these banned items will be the one of the historic steps in the State.

He assured that from the side of the Police Department at Jiribam areas maximum cooperation will be extended to prevent any form of transportation of the narcotic substances, drugs, tobaccos, and liquor into the State boundary through Jiribam.

The SDPO also urged the transporters and representatives of NGOs and Meira Paibis of the areas to have strong determination if they really want to uproot the problem of drugs and narcotic substances from the region.

In his presidential address of the meeting ISRTWS president RK Anilkumar mentioned that the decision of the Society not to carry tobacco items is one of the right steps taken in right time.

He also sought the cooperation of the civil societies, NGOs and Police Department for successful prevention of smuggling narcotic substances into the State.

AJUCA president O Mangi and AJMP N Sorojini also attended and spoke during the meeting as guests of honour.

Lecturers of Jiri College Ch Komol and Ch Bijaya and vice president of AJUCA M Maipaksana were among those who spoke as resource persons.

They suggested that facilitating such meetings frequently would be able to mould the minds of drug abusers and alcoholics in the areas.