Jamshedpur : Acting strongly against Jharkhand Vikas Morcha Prajatantrik�s (JVM-P) proposed economic blockade of the national highway (NH-33), the district administration and the police arrested Jamshedpur MP Ajoy Kumar along with 600 party workers to foil their move to block NH 33.
The blockade called in protest against the delay in repairing the stretch connecting Ranchi to Kolkata, which is riddled with potholes, failed miserably on day one with the arrest of senior party leaders.
Along with the MP, former minister Dulal Bhuiyan and central JVM secretary Abhay Singh were arrested from their residences. The former minister Dinesh Sarangi was arrested at Baharagora and police foiled the movement .
City SP Karthik S along with SDO Prem Ranjan arrested Ajoy Kumar and took him to custody at Telco police station, Dulal Bhuiyan was kept at Birsanagar police station and Abhay Singh at Govidnpur Polcie Station.
Meanwhile as per the programme more than 600 party activists, gathered at NH 33 pardih Chowk ehre the police arrested the workers and kept them Sumant Moolgaonkar Stadium at Telco.
The blockade was aimed to prevent movement of commercial vehicles on the 70km stretch between Pardih and Badsol on the Bengal-Jharkhand border in East Singhbhum. But timely intervention of the police foiled the plans.
The party activists were camping at different points on the NH passing through East Singhbhum. Pardih Kali Mandir, Bhilaipahari, Ghatshila Phuldungri Chowk, Jaganathpur Chowk, Bahragora and Badsol.
JVM leaders have expressed angst against the administration and said that the arrest was carried on direction of State Government.
� Our movement is for the public interested as people are reeling under the shabby condtion of NH. It is a matter of shame that the police used its power to act against the workers. The horrible condition of the NH-33 between Ranchi and Jamshedpur is a clear example of negligence. If there is a delay on part of the NH agency then at least the state government should carry out temporary repairing of the highway. What is stopping the local government from improving the pathetic condition,� said a leader.
He has alleged that the state government authorities have failed to take notice of the NH issue. He said the party will continue to wage movement against the apathy of the Government.
The Jamshedpur MP alleged that NHAI chairman R P Singh is incompetent and his tenure smacks of corruption. “I will write to the chief vigilance officer seeking probe into the projects cleared during R P Singh’s tenure,” said Kumar claiming that NHAI is equally responsible for the pitiable condition of the highway.
Replying to a query, Kumar said, “Though Madhucom Projects Ltd has resumed patchwork on the highway, their job is unsatisfactory. The road is not at all ready for vehicles to ply.
It is an eyewash,” he said. Holding BJP leader Arjun Munda hugely responsible for the sorry state of the NH, he said if the Munda-government had been a little sincere about the plight of the people travelling on the dilapidated highway then the NH-33 would have been repaired effectively in 2012.
Nearly two dozen trade and commerce organizations have extended their support to the economic blockade.