Twenty-four people were detained on Thursday for allegedly blocking a vital highway in Mizoram to protest its deteriorating condition, officials said. The protest, organised by the Mizoram Tipper Association (MTA) Kolasib unit and the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of drivers and commercial vehicle owners, was part of a four-day strike on NH-306/06, the state’s main supply route. Kolasib Superintendent of Police David H. Lalthangliana stated that vehicular movement remained largely unaffected due to adequate police deployment.
“Twenty-four individuals, including MTA and JAC leaders, were taken into custody for violating prohibitory orders,” he said. No major law-and-order issues were reported during the protest, which began around 7 a.m. Home Minister K. Sapdana had previously warned truckers and commercial vehicle operators of legal consequences for obstructing the highway. He emphasised that blocking a national highway is punishable under the National Highway Act and Sections 126 and 285 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
The government clarified that both the Public Works Department (PWD) and the National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (NHIDCL) are actively working to restore the highway, with repairs expected to be completed by November, according to PWD Minister Vanlalthlane. NH-306, partially designated as NH-06, had undergone repairs in July and August, but its condition has again worsened, prompting frustration among transporters.
