Imphal, August 06: The secretary of Manipur Drivers� Welfare Association has filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) with the Gauhati High Court, Imphal Bench against the Government�s order of limiting the load to be carried by the trucks along National Highway 53 and the threats to book the drivers under NSA if they do not comply with the said order.

Senior Advocate HNK filed the PIL with the Division Bench of Justice MBK and Justice DN Singh on behalf of the secretary of the Association M Tomba yesterday.

The PIL contended that the order issued by the DC Imphal East which restricted the load of trucks to 10 tonne National Highway 53 without the permission of the Government of India was wrong.

While questioning why the restriction has to be imposed only after the said weak bridges along the National Highway have been repaired, the PIL observed that the new development might have been made at the behest of some vested interest persons.

The PIL also noted that the Association took exception to the use of unparliamentary language and threat of detention under NSA by Jiribam police against the drivers who are dispensing their duties of transporting essential goods for the people of Manipur by taking great risks during the economic blockade.

Why should the drivers be blamed and targeted when the Government could not even effect the arrest and detention of even a single activist of ANSAM which is enforcing the blockade, the PIL questioned.

Refuting the charges of the Government that the transporters and the divers are trying to monopolise, the PIL pointed that the transporters will suffer great financial loss if only 10 tonne is to be carried.

So the maximum limit of the load should be above 10 tonne, the PIL suggested, while urging for adequate security coverage to the truck drivers who are lifting essential commodities for the people of the State.

The final hearing of the PIL is likely to be taken up on August 10.

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