Truck drivers, owners serve 3-day ultimatum to Nagaland govt

Threaten to stop entering Dimapur

Dimapur, September 24 (MExN): Following the shooting of a truck driver in Dimapur on September 22, truck drivers and owners in Dimapur, Lahorijan and Khatkhati have served an ultimatum to the Government of Nagaland with demands to be resolved within three days.

Condemning the incident, the Dimapur District Truck Owners Association (DDTOA), Dimapur Truck Drivers’ Union, Dimapur District Truck Driver Welfare Trade Union (DDTDWTU), Lahorijan and Khatkhati Truckers Welfare Society and Bokajan Truck Owners Association pressed the State Government to immediately compensate the victim’s family, as the deceased “was the sole bread earner of the family.”

They also demanded the government to end the lease system of the Dimapur Municipal Council (DMC), alleging that the “lease system is the root cause of the entire problem.”

“The lessees are actively involved in passing details of goods vehicle to all the miscreants,” they alleged, and added that the present situation has created fear among the drivers who are not willing to enter Dimapur (Nagaland) until their safety and protection are fully assured.

They also claimed that the ‘internal conflict of taxation among transporters/brokers’ based in Dimapur has created a ‘fear psychology’, and said that they  "do not allow the truckers to be provided with Police escort while entering Dimapur.”

Expressing worry over the deteriorating law and order in the city, the Unions said that they were left with no option but to serve the ultimatum.

In case of failure to resolve the mentioned issues within three days, the truckers cautioned that all trucks would be stopped from entering Dimapur and a Chakka Jam would be declared indefinitely.