A deserted Imphal street. Image: Northeast Now

In view of the situation arising out of the coronavirus pandemic, the Manipur government has ordered to stop all public transport within the state with immediate effect until further orders.

The move to stop the all public transport system was decided by the state chief secretary chaired a review meeting of the officials of the health and family welfare, home and transport etc as a follow up of video conference of the all-state chief secretaries chaired by the cabinet secretary government of India, according to a government order.

In an order issued by the Principal Secretary (Transport) P Vaiphei who is the chairman of state transport authority on Sunday, said that all public transport system operating within the state including auto-winger/magic etc shall be completely stopped with immediate effect and until further orders as being done in many other states now.

In other words, the capping enforced yesterday to limit the plying of the public transport system to only 20 per cent of the entire transport fleet across all routes within the state is hereby removed and the reduction on the movement of all such public transport system is hereby extended to 100 per cent of the entire transport fleet across all routes within the state, the order said.

All concerned transport associations/societies shall strictly comply immediately by ensuring that no such public transport vehicles under their respective associations/societies ply across any route in the state with immediate effect and until further orders, it added.

On Sunday different district magistrates of the state have imposed Section 144 of CrPC in almost all the districts of the State whereby any gathering/assembly of more than four persons outside their residence, as well as all social/religious/political gatherings, have been prohibited with immediate effect till March 31.

Sobhapati Samom is Northeast Now Correspondent in Imphal. He can be reached at: [email protected]