IT News
Imphal, April 28,
A day after passenger diesel auto service plying along RIMS road stopped protesting the government measures to prevent them from entering Imphal city, passenger diesel auto service providers plying from Kiyamgei, Lillong and MU to Kwairamband Keithel stopped their service today and staged protest in front of Manipur University gate by parking their vehicles.
The protest is the outcome of the news report published in local daily sent out by DIPR stating govt. measures to ban diesel auto from entering Imphal city area at which the Chief Minister had stated during the first meeting of the Traffic Regulation and Parking Committee (TRPC) meeting held on April 25 since the government was formed.
However, during a discussion hour at ISTV, Director MAHUD Gitkumar, who was also present in the TRPC meeting stated that Chief Minister only suggested if diesel auto could be prevented by taking up some measure after thorough study. He had stated that the government is not having any immediate plan to ban the diesel auto but had consulted to conduct a survey on how it could be managed.
According to Gitkumar, The chief minister had suggested if the auto rickshaw and diesel van transports could be substituted by state bus service and to allow E-rickshaw. However , as per news report it was stated that the Chief Minister is replacing city bus service and e- rickshaw in place of diesel auto by preventing them entering the city area.
Base on the report the auto rickshaw drivers condemned the government’s decision of banning the diesel auto without providing an alternative means of living. They demanded to provide electric rickshaws on loan basis.
At present over 18,000 auto rickshaws are registered in Manipur and an immediate ban would meant leaving 18,000 family jobless, N. Hementa, Editor of Huiyen Lanpao Daily had stated.
According to the MAHUD Director the Chief Minister had advice to constitute expert committee to take stock of the situation which create traffic menace in the state. IIT Kharagpur had been awarded to study the present situation for making a master plan, while Economics department and Anthropology department of the Manipur University will be consulted about the problems of the people which jam traffic in Imphal.
