Survey for the introduction of a direct bus service between Indian border town Moreh and Burma’s second largest city, Mandalay is underway under the aegis of the Manipur Transport Minister Langpoklakpam Jayentakumar over the last three days ago. The Minister was extremely unhappy with the massive land encroachment on the State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) complex.

As part of the ongoing survey on the Indian side, a high level Indian team headed by the Minister visited Moreh on August 7 and inspected the existing bus parking facilities as well as other transport department complexes.

Apart from Member of Legislative Assembly Dr Kh Ratankumar, H Imocha, Commissioner of the Manipur Transport Department, Deputy Director D K Sharma and other senior officials accompanied the Minister during the two day inspection programme which was kicked off on August 6.

Right from Imphal, the state capital of Manipur, the Minister Jayentakumar and his team reviewed the condition of the 110-km stretch of the Imphal-Moreh highway as well as security coverage.

After Moreh, the team visited the Manipur State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) complex and interacted with officials there for the complete reconstruction of the entire complex in order to provide necessary facilities to the passengers of both India and Burma once the bus service is operational. The Minister was unhappy on seeing the massive encroachment of land belonging to the MSRTC complex, measuring 96 acres by private parties.

Even though the Transport Minister and his team saw a sign board fixed on the MST office clearly stating that area belonged to the MSRTC. Only a few acres have been left out while the larger portion of the complex has been usurped by encroachers. The complex was overgrown with grass as high as three feet.

Later he visited the Moreh bus parking lot at Moreh gate number I. There too, he saw encroachment and said, “Such areas also need to be protected once the Mandalay bus service begins”. He also suggested immediate fencing of the area.

On July 20 this year, the newly sworn in Manipur Minister made the announcement clearing the bus service in order to give a leg up to bilateral trade relations between India and Burma.

The Indian commerce Minister Jairam Ramesh, during his visit to Moreh in September 2006, gave the green signal to the proposed bus service. The project got mired as Burmese authorities failed to respond to India’s proposal then.

The bus service, which is part of the proposed Trans-Asia Highway and Trans-Asian Rail link, would take Burmese traders and tourists from Mandalay only 12 hours to reach the Indian border town.