SENAPATI, April 22: With support and endorsement from several tribal bodies of the State, the 72-hour total bandh of the All Manipur Hill Districts Contract Basis Teachers association (AMHDCBTA) for all Inter State Road Transport Services on National/Trans Asian Highways particularly Imphal-Dimapur Road NH-102, Imphal-Silchar Road NH-37, Imphal-Aizawl Road NH-150 and Trans-Asian Road, Pallel-Moreh NH-102 has been running successful.
More than 200 buses and trucks ferrying passengers and commodities have remained stranded since the bandh was enforced.
The bandh has been enforced since April 20 by a JAC formed within the association demanding the State government for service regularisation of the hill districts contract basis teachers of 2006 batch.
These hill districts contract basis teachers were appointed by the Directorate of Education following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with the government of Manipur and difference tribal civil organisation spearheaded by the All Tribal Students Union, Manipur following a 53- day long economic blockade. Their appointment was made to cater to the needs of the government schools in the hill with acute shortage of teachers and headmasters/headmistress way back in 2006.
After their appointment for about two years, they have neither been utilised nor paid remuneration till date according to a report received from the spokesperson of the JAC, AMHDCBTA.
The appointment and engagement of this contract basis teachers were made after due advertisement and also obtaining the finance memo from the Finance Department, GOM and that, the service extension order of this contract basis teachers and payment of remuneration was made only up to 2008 and thereafter, no extension order was made despite of rendering their valuable services for the past many years, the report said.
In November 2011, the physical verification accompanied with relevant documents was conducted by the Directorate of Education (S) for service extension/regularisation and in the due process, 772 numbers of contract basis teachers were found genuine by the concerned directorate and had put up to the higher authority for necessary action. However, no concrete development has been ruled out till date as according to the reply of the spokesperson of the JAC when asked.
It is also asserted that, countless numbers of representations approaches were made to the State government by the JAC and various hill and valley based students`™ bodies and many civil society organisations of the State had initiated steps to redress the hardships of the association and to provide adequate teachers in the schools of the hill but, the GOM has remained silent compelling the JAC to enforce ban of national and central projects since April 9 till date.
The Naga People`™s Organisation (NPO) had also urged the government, earlier to do the needful as deemed fit of the demands made by the JAC.
The spokesperson of the association observed that the State government is adopting the Use and Dispose policy towards the long suffering teachers of the hills which is purely a violation of the Human Rights.
In a joint press statement, the All Naga Students`™ Association, Manipur (ANSAM) and the Kuki Students`™ Association, General Headquarter (KSO-GH) too had urged the State government, endorsing and to support the ongoing agitation of the JAC, AMHDCBTA.
Further, the two student bodies had warned the GOM to call it as a State issue if the government fails to redress the matter before April 25.
The JAC further warned the state government to initiate a harder form of democratic agitation if the government fails to the needful at the earliest.
Chandel: Normal life have been affected along Imphal -Moreh section of NH 102 for the second day due to the 72 hours blockade called by the Joint Action Committee of All Manipur Hill Districts Contract Basis Teachers Association (AMHDCBTA).
A group of contract teachers and volunteers blocked the Imphal-Moreh Section of National Highway 102 by piling up of woods and boulder near Thamlapokpi Village in Chandel District and burned down goods after pulling down essential commodities from vehicles.
Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/04/vehicles-stranded-along-highways-due-to-72hour-bandh/