After oscillating for 12 days, and as fuel stock dries up, Okram Ibobi Singh government has finally decided to use both Imphal-Jiribam (NH-37) and Imphal-Dimapur (NH-2) routes to restore supply of essential commodities to ease the crisis triggered by the indefinite economic blockade.
The supply of all kinds of daily requirements is running low and prices of commodities have soared after the United Naga Council (UNC) imposed an indefinite economic blockade along the state’s two supply lines of Imphal-Dimapur (NH-2) and Imphal-Jiribam highway (NH-37) completely shut out supply trucks.
Price of petrol at black market reached Rs. 250 per litre today.
Hundreds of loaded trucks and oil tankers are remaining stranded along Imphal-Dimapur highway, beyond Manipur including at some parts in Assam.
“The chief minister is reviewing the situation with concerned officials everyday and the government is working out a plan to restore the supply by bringing the stranded trucks to Imphal with security escorts,” transport minister Kh Ratankumar Singh today said.
Talking to reporters on the sideline of a government function in Imphal today Ratankumar Singh told reporters that the government is planning to bring the stranded trucks through Imphal-Jiribam highway and Imphal-Dimaur highway.
However, it is not clear when the stranded trucks will start moving.
Ratankumar further said the chief minister has appealed to the UNC through the deputy commissioners of the districts to lift the blockade. On the other hand the chief minister is also trying to bring the UNC across the negotiating table.
The demand of the UNC is very clear. The organisation said the blockade would not have come if the state government had announced that the government would consult all stake holders before creation of Sadar Hills and Jiribam districts.
The transport minister further said the chief minister had also spoken to Centre’s interlocutor R N Ravi to help the state government in getting the blockade lifted. Ravi is Centre’s interlocutor to the peace talk with the NSCN (IM).
Source: Imphal Free Press
