EMN
Dimapur, October 7
Dimapur Police arrested four persons in connection with the imposition of the unauthorized ‘Chakka Bandh’ called by the Dimapur District Truck Drivers’ Welfare Trade Union (DDTDWTU).
Addl. Dy. Commissioner of Police/PRO Dimapur in a release said, defying the warnings of the police that bandh was illegal, members of the union led by its president and jt. secretary had engaged in restraining truck drivers from plying their vehicles and also caused obstruction of vehicular traffic in certain parts of the highway.
The police intervened and arrested Kaiho Zhimomi, President DDTDWTU and Hekiye H, Jt. Secretary DDTDWTU from Burma Camp area while they were engaging in such duties. Later, another two members identified as Hoseytong Sangtam and Lichase Sangtam were arrested for causing nuisance and obstruction to vehicular traffic.
The arrested persons have been booked for violation of various sections of law and a case has been registered.
NVCO condemns 24-hr chakka bandh
The Nagaland Voluntary Consumers’ Organisation(NVCO) has vehemently condemned truckers’ 24-hr Chakka Bandh today called by the Dimapur District Trucks Drivers Welfare Trade Union(DDTDWTU).
The NVCO said, the bandh violated the State government several standing orders in banning the collection of cash/taxes in the check-gates or in any part of the highway.
“Citizens call bandh or other protest to ensure their legal rights entitled to them but this bandh is not simply unauthorized but committing a serious crime at the cost of public inconveniences where the general public/consumers cannot tolerate the kind of harassment in a democratic state,” a statement issued by Press & Media Cell, NVCO said.
The Association expressed its support and appreciation to the district police in arresting DDTDWTU members while stopping trucks plying along the highway and forcibly collecting membership fee.
Earlier, similar union had approached the Gauhati High Court in challenging the state government’s orders in stopping them from collection of taxes or cash or money in any form, the statement said adding, “in an judgment & order dated 03.06.2014 the High Court had dismissed all the Writ Petitions filed by several unions/associations/organisation/federation mostly Dimapur District based except the Petroleum and Land Transport Workers Federation of India and they had been disallowed from any form of collection of taxes or cash or money on the highways or markets places.”
Recently, the NVCO had released a book entitled – “Corruption is the enemy of good governance, the impact of RTI in Nagaland, the rights & duties of a consumer’ where the relevant government standing orders and Gauhati High Court Judgement & Order dated 03.06.2014 are also been compiled. The NVCO printed in good number for free distribution.
The NVCO said, it has been fighting against illegal collection of cash at the check-gates by Nagaland Police, Public Organisation, government departments, etc for the last several years.
“The illegal collection of cash conducted in many different forms in our society. On 4th Sept, 2015 while the NVCO team were travelling down to Dimapur they stopped the school students in uniform innocently happily stopping vehicles on national highway Kohima-Dimapur road in selling Teachers’ Day badge. Another incident was on the night of 29th Sept 2015 while the NVCO team were returning to Kohima after the meeting of Access to Justice Project at Dimapur where several trucks were stranded on every check-gates causing inconveniences to other vehicles and in one of the Check-gates closure to Kohima before Bye-pass check-gates more than 30 trucks were stranded on both sides of the check-gate maintained by Nagaland police.”
