Imphal, May 23 : Supporters of an economic blockade along Manipur’s two lifelines went on the rampage late last night, damaging more than 20 trucks and setting on fire another in Senapati district, raising fears of a breakdown in the supply chain of essential commodities.
The Naga Peoples’ Organisation, Senapati, and the Senapati District Students’ Association have jointly imposed the indefinite economic blockade from 6am yesterday.
They are protesting against the Okram Ibobi Singh government’s failure to properly distribute items under the public distribution system and also the non-completion of water supply schemes in the district.
Truckers today threatened to stop plying on these two highways — National Highway 39 (Imphal-Kohima) and National Highway 53 (Imphal-Jiribam) — if the government did not increase the number of personnel providing security to the convoy of supply trucks.
In Imphal, the supply department warned that if the strike continued for another couple of days, the prices of essential commodities would “shoot up and may even lead to a shortage”.
“Though we are keeping a close watch, traders often try to create artificial shortages in such situations. The sooner the issue is resolved the better,” an official added.
Reports said blockade supporters threw stones at the convoy of more than 200 loaded trucks which were passing through Mao, Tadubi, Kangpokpi and other places along the Imphal-Kohima highway, the state’s main supply line, at 10.30pm.
The trucks were being escorted by four security vehicles of armed Manipur Rifles jawans from Mao gate in Senapati district.
The activists also set on fire a truck carrying sand near Tadubi late last night.
Tanker drivers slammed the state government for failing to provide full-proof security to the vehicles. The damaged trucks include 10 oil tankers. However, no one was injured in these incidents.
“The attacks despite escorts prove that the security provided by the government is not enough. We demand that more armed personnel be provided in future,” the secretary of the All Manipur Petroleum Tanker Drivers’ Union, Th. Rajen Singh, said.
He warned that if any driver was injured or killed in the attacks during the blockade, they would stop plying their trucks even with security escorts.
Taking advantage of Manipur’s excessive dependency on the two highways, organisations often try to browbeat the government into submission by blocking the two roads, sometimes even over petty issues.
Telegraph India
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