The All Manipur Road Transport and Motor Workers Union (Drivers’ Union) has warned that it will launch a “hands-off steering wheel” strike from July 1 if the Manipur government fails to repair National Highway-37 on a war footing by June 30.
The warning comes even as more than 1,000 incoming goods vehicles remain stranded at Jiribam and neighbouring Assam due to the deteriorating condition of the highway.
Addressing the media, the union’s general secretary, Maimom Anil Meitei, said drivers, including those operating vehicles under security escort, may be forced to stop work if immediate repair work is not undertaken.
NH-37, which connects Imphal with Jiribam, is currently the state’s only functional highway after National Highway-2 (Imphal-Dimapur) was closed by various civil groups in mid-May. A transport strike on NH-37 would severely disrupt the supply of essential commodities, including fuel, LPG and other goods, into Manipur.
The Drivers’ Union said it had repeatedly highlighted the poor condition of NH-37 and urged the state government, the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL), and other concerned authorities to undertake urgent repairs. Drivers transporting goods under security escort have also repeatedly flagged several damaged stretches of the highway.
Anil alleged that repeated appeals by the union had gone unheard. He accused the NHIDCL of failing to maintain the highway and criticised the state government for not intervening despite the worsening condition of the road.
He further claimed that the government lacked the political will to improve the highway and address the transport bottlenecks and rising prices faced by the people of the state.
According to the union, around 150 vehicles carrying essential goods and fuel under security escort are insufficient to meet the state’s daily requirements.
Describing the difficulties faced by transporters, Anil said around 150 trucks and tankers departed Jiribam for Imphal on Thursday. However, an LPG tanker became stuck in deep mud near Oinamlong for several hours, bringing the convoy to a halt. After the tanker was rescued, another truck got stranded between Nungba and Kambiron, once again disrupting the movement of all vehicles.
The union blamed both the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) and the NHIDCL for the deplorable condition of the highway. Anil said the NHIDCL took over maintenance of NH-37 from the BRO in 2014, but despite engaging several contractors and agencies for development work, the condition of the road has shown little improvement.
He claimed that the highway has not undergone any significant transformation since it was declared a national highway in 1971.
The union urged the state government to constitute a monitoring committee to oversee the work being carried out by the NHIDCL and its contractors to ensure accountability and timely completion of repair works.
Reiterating the July 1 strike call, Anil said the government must complete emergency repairs on NH-37 by June 30 if it wants to avert the protest. He maintained that the drivers’ demands are aimed at safeguarding the interests of the people and ensuring uninterrupted supply of essential commodities.
Meanwhile, officials said that 319 loaded vehicles reached Imphal on Thursday, while 332 empty trucks and tankers departed the state capital for Jiribam.
