Scarce: A vegetable vendor in one of Mokokchung’s biggest vegetable markets - Mokokchung Municipal Vegetable Market - sits amidst some rotting eggplants, stale carrots and onions only because fresh vegetables from Assam have not arrived due to the chakka bandh on Friday, May 10. (Morung Photo)
Mokokchung, May 10 (MExN): The effects from two days of chakka bandh called by the Mokokchung Truck Owners Association on May 8, 2013 in protest against the poor condition of Mokokchung-Mariani road is being felt with essential items becoming scarce in the market.
In one of the biggest vegetable markets – Mokokchung Municipal Vegetable Market (Old Town Hall), vegetable vendors sit amidst some rotting carrots and potatoes since there is no supply of fresh vegetables from Assam. There are no chilies or tomatoes. Even the local vendors, who sell locally produced vegetables, do not have tomatoes and chilies, which make one of the most important ingredients in any Naga food recipe.
“These are perishable goods, and since Mokokchung don’t have a cold storage system, the vegetable vendors can only bring what is needed on a need basis otherwise the vegetables will get rotten,” said MR Rai, the general secretary of the Mokokchung Chamber of Commerce & Industries (MCCI).
He cautioned that the the real effect of the chakka bandh will be felt from Monday or Tuesday, when essential items will run extremely low. “Within these two days (of bandh period), the cost of essential food items have shot up,” he said.
It is learnt that the district administration is trying its best to convince the Mokokchung Truck Owners Association (MDTOA) to call off the chakka bandh. A meeting was held last evening which was attended by officials from the BRO, MCCI, MDTOA and Mokokchung district administration headed by DC. It was decided that improvement works will be carried out immediately and that the trucks should ply from today. However, the trucks remained off the road for the second day.
Another meeting was called this evening by the district administration and an appeal was made to the MDTOA to call off the chakka bandh. A source who attended the meeting disclosed that the MDTOA however said the decision to call off the bandh can be taken only after an executive meeting of the Association.
When contacted, MDTOA general secretary, Senti Walling told The Morung Express that the Association has sent an inspection team to Longtho area (some sixty kilometers from Mokokchung). They are waiting to hear from the inspection team. Only after the inspection team arrives then the MDTOA can decide on the next course of action, he said. “The BRTF has given us assurances in the past too. They failed to live up to their words. So this time we are resolute that unless their words are matched with actions, we are going to continue with the bandh,” said the MDTOA general secretary.
Till the time of filing this story at 7:30 pm, Friday, the bandh still existed. It may be noted that the chakka bandh called by the MDTOA has been supported by the Pick-Up Truck Union Mokokchung (PTUM) who joined in the bandh from 6 am this morning. Pick-Up trucks are the most convenient transport vehicle in the town. Their joining the chakka bandh must definitely affect some citizens in the town. It is uncertain whether the chakka bandh will be lifted. But one thing is certain that essential food items will get scarcer within the next one or two days.
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