IMPHAL, Sept 12: The state government has beefed up security measures along the National Highway No. 53 (Imphal-Jiribam Road) to ensure normal flow of all transport vehicles along this route amidst disturbances from the agitators.
The common public of the state have been facing problems of scarcity and abnormal price hike of essential items due to the economic blockade imposed by Sadar Hills Districthood Demand Committee and United Naga Council for the demand and counter demand on Sadar Hills since August 1.
Taking serious note of the present issues, an emergency security review meeting was held on September 10 evening under the chairmanship of Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh at his official bungalow.
The meeting resolved to concentrate maximum security forces both state and central forces for maintaining regular flow of vehicles along the National Highway No. 53.
According to an official source, the security meeting was attended also by state chief chief secretary DS Poonia, DGP Y Joykumar, IGAR (South), DIG (Ops) of the BSF and CRPF and commissioner state Home department Binod Kispota.
The meeting also laid emphasis on immediate security action for the protection of any form of disturbance from the agitators to the transporters along the NH-53.
It was decided that the security protection for the transporters from Tupul to Imphal will be taken over by the state security forces and protection of transporters beyond Tupul upto Jiribam will be the responsibility of the central security forces like Assam Rifles, CRPF, and BSF.
In the meantime, the officers of the central security forces present in the meeting have assured to detail two companies each of CRPF and Assam Rifles and one company of the BSF to conduct daily regular road opening patrolling along the NH-53 daily so as to enable the transporters resume their services without any disturbance.
Subject to the recent decision of the recent security review meeting, more than 700 empty trucks left Imphal to collect the essential items from outside states along the Imphal-Jiribam road today under the newly arranged security measures.
As per the commitment made by the state government, a strong unit of state forces led by SDPO, Imphal West, N Madhunimai Singh, Dy Sp, CDO Imphal West S Ibomcha Singh, OC Patsoi PS L Premchand along with their escorts, R Sanjoy Singh OC in charge Sekmai post, Inspt. James Thangal OC in charge of CDO Mayang Imphal, three teams of CDO Imphal West, five CDO team each from Imphal East, Thoubal, Bishnupur and Tamenglong were initially detailed for ROP duties along the Imphal Jirbam road from Keithelmanbi to Tupul.
Besides considering the possibilities of creating more disturbances into these areas additional reinforcement of 50 Women commando SIs from the different police stations of Imphal West, Imphal East, Thoubal Bishnupur, Chandel, Churachandpur along with 50 women police constables, five women head constables and 50 numbers women home guards personnel have been stationed along these highways from yesterday onward to prevent any untoward incident in the movement of the vehicles along this high way, the official source added.