Mizoram truckers to launch indefinite strike over poor highway conditions
The protests will target government inaction despite repeated demands for repairs.
Trucks in the dilapidated highway in Mizoram (Source: @airnews_aizawl / X)
Aizawl, Jan 23: The Mizoram Truck Owners' Association (MTOA) and Mizoram Truck Drivers' Association (MTDA) have confirmed their plan to begin an indefinite strike from Thursday morning, protesting against the deplorable condition of the Silchar-Aizawl highway, a key lifeline for the State.
The strike, set to commence at 7 am, will see truckers refusing to ply on the route, MTOA general secretary Dina Tlau said.
Tlau stated that the highway has been in an unmanageable state for an extended period, posing severe risks for truckers transporting essential goods into Mizoram. He particularly highlighted the stretch between the Assam border at Vairengte and Sairang near Aizawl as being in the worst condition.
"We are not stopping other vehicles from using the highway, but truckers from Assam's Cachar district have also been urged to avoid entering Mizoram," Tlau said, adding that their counterparts in Cachar are similarly frustrated by the hazardous road conditions.
Tlau criticised the State Government, pointing out that repeated demands to address the issue, especially after last year's monsoon, have gone unanswered. Despite a dry three-month period, the State Public Works Department and contractors under the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) failed to initiate repairs.