A two-day 220th meeting of the Standing Committee All State Road Transport Union (ASRTU), hosted by Nagaland State Transport started on Friday here with the formal inauguration graced by P. Dako Phom, parliamentary secretary ,Transport and Communications.
In his address, Dako appreciated the ASRTU for bringing the Standing Committee meeting to Nagaland and hoped that the meeting will be a great beneficial for the NST department in particular in passenger transport fields.
He also said that ASRTU being an apex body, it would be more appropriate if ASRTU can take responsibility to take up the common issues with the central Government and advice suitably to member State Transport Unions (STU’s) for their betterment.
Dako said that ASRTU has different Standing Committees which takes up the issues of STUs for discussion with Central Government and stated that the committee on supply and contract being one of the important one. "With all the vital and important items now made available under ASRTU rate contract, definitely this will help, specially the smaller Transport Undertakings to increase their viability by reducing the material cost and establishment cost" he added.
Talking about the NST department, the parliamentary secretary said that NST was created as a Government Department in 1963-64 and the first bus service started as town bus service on January 26, 1965 at Kohima and Dimapur and gradually expanded its services throughout the state.
He said that at present the NST provided services to all the 11 districts of the state with many intra’ services within the District and inter state service to neighboring state capital of Assam and Manipur.
Dako also felt that the NST, which is a Government Department, has still to go a long way to be at par with other STU of the country. "We all know that the state transport undertakings are under obligation with basic responsibilities to provide economic, comfortable and well-coordinated services to the traveling public" he told meeting adding "STU’s are also discharging some social liabilities by ,extending either free or concessional traveling to different categories of passengers of society. The services of STU’s are not only essential for the traveling public but it is one of the safest and economical modes of mass transport".
In his address OP Gupta, Chairman Standing Committee disclosed that there are 62 STUs under ASRTU. Dinesh Reddy ASRTU Vice president said that buses are the life -line of people, especially in the rural eras.
Sunday, July 27, 2025