Excelsior Correspondent
LEH, June 15: Raising slogans against SSP and Deputy Commissioner Leh hundred of transporters from Trucks Union came out on street to protest against administration.
Hundreds of vehicles including trucks and tippers were kept in long queues on the Leh-Manali Highway in protest causing inconvenience to the public and tourists. The agitated transporters alleged that local administration was trying to favour the non-local transporters by allowing them to go in the inner areas of Ladakh.
The issue started when few of the non-locals trucks with load were allowed to go to Sarchu to which local raised objection. The agitated protester walked upto DC office to express their resentment and later they sat on dharna for hours. Some of the unruly mob forcefully tried to enter DC office resulting in scuffle with Police.
The local transporters alleged that without sorting the issue with locals SSP reportedly escorted the non-local truck upto Upshi for their safe passage which further angered them the most. They alleged that without keeping the interest of locals, the administration (SSP & DC) was favouring the non-locals which angered the transporters. The locals claimed that one of the non-local transporters reportedly made instigated gesture with comment that he will buy the local transporter unions for one crore which further angered the locals.
They demanded to register FIR against one non-local who reportedly instigated them. Their second demand was to bring back the truck along with load to Leh from Sarchu.
Ladakh Cooperative Transport Society President Mohd Shafi Lassu representing the agitated transporters, being the head of district, said that “we are not here to bother the public but to express our resentment against SSP”. He added that being the SSP of Leh, he should have talked to the locals rather he helped them personally by escorting them. He appraised the DC that there is understanding between non-local transporters and locals not to carry load in inner areas of Ladakh, however, yesterday SSP helped them to go upto Sarchu.
Deputy Commissioner Prasanna Ramaswami G assured them (locals) to discuss the matter with Divisional Commissioner to sort out the local issues whether to allow non-local transporters to carry load in inner areas of Ladakh or not. DC made it clear that he will not be able to bring back the non-local truck to Leh. DC also issued orders to police to register FIR against the person who reportedly instigated the locals.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
