Mamit NGOs, commercial vehicle operators protest bad road condition

Aizawl, Oct 16 (PTI) A number of NGOs and commercial vehicle operators in Mizoram's Mamit district on Thursday launched an agitation to protest bad roads linking the north-western district, which shares borders with Tripura and Bangladesh, officials said.

The NGOs and Commercial Vehicle Owners Association started blocking NH-108 near Mamit town from preventing vehicles to ply on key roads connecting the district.

The strike also affected electoral campaign at Dampa constituency in the district, which is due for by-election on November 11, they said.

The protestors said in a statement that three key roads - NH-108 linking Mamit with Aizawl, NH-6 between Mamit and Bairabi in Kolasib district, and intra-district highway between Mamit and Hachhek - have been in deplorable conditions for a long time.

They alleged that they have repeatedly appealed to the government to repair the roads but to no avail.

The agitators said that they will drag on the strike till the government repair the roads and will also continue to block movement of any vehicle in connection with the upcoming Dampa bypoll.

Meanwhile, officials of state PWD said that repairing works is being done to ease traffic movement as well as the public.

They said that Mamit Deputy Commissioner K Laltlawmlova and PWD engineer-in-chief H Zoramliana met leaders of NGOs and commercial vehicle operators and requested them they withdraw their decision after assuring that the repairing works will be done on a war footing. PTI CORR NN