The apex Ao Senden is reported to have met with the Mokokchung district administration on Tuesday to address the ongoing strike enforced by truck owners from Mokokchung, Zunheboto, Tuensang, and neighboring areas.
The truck owners suspended their operations on July 29, citing worsening road conditions. As a result, commercial trucks have not been plying from Mariani, Amguri, and Jorhat to Mokokchung and beyond since then.
Representatives of the truck owners, the contractor, and the NPWD (National Highways) were also present at Monday’s meeting, according to sources. During the meeting, the Ao Senden highlighted the deplorable state of NH 702D (Mariani road) and NH 2 (Amguri road).
On Monday, the Ao Senden, along with the truckers, conducted a joint inspection of the two highways and found the roads not motorable for commercial trucks. Patches of the road at Longtho and Longnak were found to be particularly deteriorated. They also inspected the alternative NH 2 route but found that stretches of the road at the Merangkong area and Mongoya peak were also not motorable for commercial trucks due to ongoing earthwork and inclement weather conditions.
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As such, although no official order has been made available to the press yet, the Deputy Commissioner is reported to have instructed the contractor to personally monitor the NH 702D maintenance work and make the road motorable by Friday, August 9.
It may be recalled that following the suspension of operations by the truckers on July 29, a meeting was held on July 30 involving the Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Mokokchung, the Truck Owners’ Union, contractors, Ao Senden, and EE PWD (NH) Mokokchung Division, aimed at expediting ongoing road repair and maintenance works. After a lapse of one week, the Ao Senden and the truckers conducted a joint inspection on August 5, only to find that no satisfactory repair work had been done along NH 702D.
It is also reported that the contractors on NH 2 have been instructed to ensure that the road is kept motorable despite the ongoing works.
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Meanwhile, to ensure the availability of essential commodities in the market, Ao Senden has requested the involved parties to utilize the Asetkong-Tzüsangra road (AT Road). However, only pick-up trucks and small commercial vehicles can ply on this road.