DIPHU, May 9 - Two Guwahati-bound buses began operating from Diphu at 6:30 am scheduled time since Wednesday last. The imitative came soon after the State government allowed plying of private buses with 50 per cent occupancy.
On Monday, the bus owners were reluctant to operate their buses with 50 per cent occupancy as it did not cover even the cost of fuel. Karbi Anglong Bus Association, president, Lakhiram Bordoloi said, �The DC has allowed us to operate buses with 50 percent capacity, which means with 40 seat capacity we could carry only 20 passengers and 50 seats capacity we could carry only 25 passengers.�
�Reducing to 50 per cent capacity is part of social distancing. But with a limited number of passengers and increase in the price of diesel we cannot make up for the losses. After discussing again with the DC on May 5 we are starting to operate two buses from here to Guwahati to and fro. Time of the departure is 6.30 am,� Bordoloi informed. The fare is Rs 290 which is at par with the fare of Assam State Transport Corporation.
KSA alleges land encroachment: The Karbi Students� Association has once again expressed its anguish over land encroachment by allegedly by Nagaland authority at Tila Basti and Dhansiri area inside the district recently.
The Karbi Students� Association has flayed the Neiphu Rio-led Nagaland government for encouraging its Police Department to encroach Karbi Anglong�s land during the period of nationwide lockdown. This was expressed through a press statement issue by its propaganda secretary Peter Phangcho at Diphu recently.
The students� body mentioned that the illegal act repeatedly pursued by the neighbouring State may completely alter the scenario of the border region. The KSA has also blamed the silence of the Assam government and has termed it as �very unfortunate and matter of serious concern�.
The students� body has appealed to the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council authority and Assam government to intervene in the issue immediately and visit the areas without any delay to defuse tension which has escalated amongst the people living in contiguous areas with Nagaland.
