Passenger bus services resume after 13-day strike

Imphal, Nov 7 (UNI) All inter-state bus services resumed today after remaining suspended for the past 13 days.

The All Manipur Inter-State Bus Association had suspended services to protest the killing of two passengers, including a woman, at Lahorijan in Assam on October 23 by suspected Kuki militants.

President of the association Budha Luwang said the Manipur government had assured to provide financial assistance to the victims and a judicial probe would be ordered.

All the passenger vehicles would be escorted up to the Manipur border and the Army, under GOC 3 Corps, to provide security to the buses in Nagaland and Assam.

Mr Luwang said the government was also urged to repair National Highway 39 which was in a pathetic condition even though it was the only proper road connecting Manipur to the rest of the world.

The association alleged that vehicles from Manipur were also being stopped for illegal tax collections in other states by militants and even security personnel.

Many of the militants, who extort money from the passengers and the bus operators on the highway, were in talks with the government, the association added.

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