In a significant development which has come as a major relief, the indefinite economic bandh called by five truck associations, which began on September 29, was called off on October 2 evening.
The decision to call off the economic bandh was made following several assurances reportedly made by Dimapur district administration to the truckers on October 2.
Informing this to Nagaland Post, deputy commissioner (DC) Dimapur, Rajesh Soundararajan, said that the truck drivers/owners associations had called off the indefinite economic bandh with effect from Friday evening, in the interest of public welfare and mutual goodwill.
Earlier during the day, a meeting between the DC and Dimapur-based unions was held at DC’s office chamber to deliberate on the matter, after which the Dimapur-based unions held a separate meeting with their Assam counterparts to convey the assurances.
The assurances were contained in a letter from DC Dimapur, dated October 2, to the presidents of Dimapur District Truck Owners’ Association, Dimapur Truck Drivers’ Union, Dimapur District Truck Drivers’ Welfare Trade Union and Dimapur Truck Drivers Union.
In the letter, the deputy commissioner Dimapur stated that the Commissioner of Police, Dimapur has assured to expedite the investigation into the September 22 murder of a truck driver and bring it to a logical conclusion at the earliest.
With regard to the demand for compensation/ex-gratia, DC said assured that compensation will be paid, provided that the innocence of the victim was unequivocally established during the course of the investigation.
On the issue of DMC lease system, the DC stated that his office was not the competent authority to decide on the matter. He however assured that the issue will be flagged to the government for perusal and further directives.
It may be recalled that against the backdrop of the killing of a truck driver (Jiten Gogoi from Assam) on September 22 near IMC Hall in Dimapur, five associations– DDTOA, DTDU, DDTDWTU, Lahorijan & Khatkhati Truckers’ Welfare Society and Bokajan Truck Owners’ Association had served a 3-day ultimatum on the state government to resolve the various problems faced by truckers in Dimapur.
Among the principal demands, the truckers associations demanded an end to the lease system of the Dimapur Municipal Council which they claimed, was the root cause of “these entire problems” as the lessees (contractors) were alleged to be “actively involved in passing details of goods vehicles to all the miscreants.”
The associations had also pointed out that drivers of all goods transport trucks were unwilling to enter Dimapur until their safety and protection was ensured against various miscreants.
Further, the associations also said that the “internal conflict of taxation among the so-called transporters/brokers” based in Dimapur had also created fear psychosis among the truckers.
They also alleged that the transporters insist that the truckers meet different underground groups and also do not allow truckers to be provided with police escort while entering Dimapur.
They had also demanded that the state government provide compensation to the victim’s family.