Shillong, Nov 10: Representatives of Elaka Narpuh have deemed the ongoing transportation strike by the Meghalaya Commercial Truck Owners and Drivers Association (MCTODA) as “illegal”, saying it is hurting thousands of locals who directly or indirectly make a living through cement production.
A memorandum in this regard was submitted to the East Jaintia Hills Deputy Commissioner by the Dolloi of Elaka Narpuh, Manbha Kyndoh, co-signed by several headmen. The strike has been going on since October 27 over a dispute in rates of transportation.
The strike has severely impacted the livelihood of indigenous people, with 2,500-3,000 people employed in cement plants and many more dependent on related activities, such as plying of trucks, dumpers and JCBs and supplying local materials like river sand, stone chips, timber and bamboo, the memo said.
The strike has also led to a shortage of cement, affecting construction work in villages and rendering masons jobless, it added. The cement plants’ CSR activities have also been halted, disrupting local development work. The strike has impacted around 40,000-50,000 indigenous people, including drivers, handymen and their families.
The representative of Elaka Narpuh has urged the local administration and the Meghalaya government to intervene and resolve the issue, stating that the strike has created a state of grief and sorrow among the local people, affecting their preparations for Christmas.
