Editor,
I refer to a news item which appeared in your esteemed paper (ST Feb 5, 2021) under the caption, ” Lift Strike:Tynsong to Cabbies.” Among other things, the report implies that the government is trying to portray the withdrawal of the odd-even rule for commercial vehicles and permission to load passengers to full capacity as concessions to transporters. On the contrary, these are not concessions but mere easing of Standard Operating Procedures in line with Central Government Directives to the State Government which are issued from time to time during the ongoing pandemic.
In all fairness, the Government should at least reduce the rates of various taxes on commercial vehicles and also reduce the exorbitant duties on petrol and diesel. After all, government had recently helped the industrial units across the State by waiving a large part of their electricity bills and other taxes amounting to tens of crores as a relief measure against the adverse economic impact the pandemic has had on the said industries.
In the present situation, our Government seems to be rigid perhaps because it does not expect the strike to endure for too long due to the fact that the transport workers like drivers, conductors, etc being economically poor will not be able to go without income for a prolonged period.
Yours etc.,
Samuel Swett,
Shillong-2
Abuse of school bus facilities
Editor,
2020 was dedicated to Chinese sponsored Covid-19 whereas 2021 opened up with the much needed vaccine manufactured by the American multinational pharmaceutical corporation, Pfizer. Last year, education was one of the worst hit sectors and it seems that it was not enough that we have the ongoing strike by the Joint Action Committee of Commercial Vehicles (JACCV) which has hit the student community even harder. When several schools reopened after a long lull in February, school-going students could hardly attend their classes for a single day and then came in the cabbie strike. Since most schools in the town don’t run school buses, students had to rely on taxis to reach their respective schools. The students of BSF Senior Secondary School are one of the worst hit by the striking cabbies. The school bus of this school caters to the BSF officials first and if it is available or spared, thereafter, then it is used as a school bus. The BSF Senior Secondary School, however, collects bus fares every month without fail from its students. Students had to avail bus services in a prescribed format with court fee stamps for a certain denomination. However, throughout the year this one and only school bus is used for the BSF officials more often, whereas students who availed the bus service had to depend on taxis.
The school which reopened on February 1, 2021 is unable to provide the school bus for ferrying students since its priority is to ferry BSF officials. Now, if these officials want a bus for themselves then they should procure another. Why on earth are they pushing the students of BSF Senior Secondary School to hardship by snatching away their school bus? And if the said school cannot provide uninterrupted bus service then it should return the bus fare collected to the students. In the current scenario, many students of the school are unable to attend their classes since they cannot walk the long distances in the absence of the school bus and because commercial vehicles are on strike. The BSF babus should show some concern for the students of this school and understand that they cannot take away the school bus which is meant to ferry student.
Yours etc.
BC Paul
Shillong – 4