Imphal, Feb. 2: Supply of essential commodities is yet to resume in Manipur with the Senapati District Students Association imposing an indefinite economic blockade along the Senapati sector of National Highway 39 immediately after the two-day chakka bandh on the same route ended at midnight yesterday.
The student body called the chakka bandh from January 30 to protest the failure of the Okram Ibobi Singh government in repairing the Senapati sector of NH-39 (Imphal-Kohima highway).
Initially, the association announced that it would impose the bandh for five days. However, in view of the suffering of travellers along this route, it decided to shorten the bandh and impose the economic blockade.
The 40km stretch of the highway from Maram to Senapati district headquarters was in a very bad condition and the government was not repairing it for the past few years, the student body said.
The association is also demanding handing over of the road, which is now under the care of the state PWD, to the Border Roads Organisation.
The imposition of the economic blockade coincided with a visit by works minister K. Ranjit Singh to the district to inspect the condition of the highway and other roads.
Official sources here said that the minister visited the district as the first step towards taking concrete measures for repairing the highway and other roads.
“The minister inspected the road between Karong and Thingba Khullen and the Imphal-Dimapur highway. During a reception at Thingba Khullen in Senapati district, the minister promised the villagers that the Karong-Thingba Khullen Road will be expanded and improved very soon,” an official source here said.
Addressing the reception, the minister did not mention anything about the ongoing economic blockade along the highway.
The student body has been blocking the road on and off for the past four years demanding repairs.
After the association launched a 14-day economic blockade in November 2008, the works minister promised to repair the road. But the condition of the road remained the same, as the promise was never fulfilled.
Officials maintained that disturbances from various circles were hampering the repairing of the road.
The economic blockade would stop all supply of essential commodities to Manipur as the Imphal-Kohima highway is the lifeline for the state.
Though the government is planning to provide security escorts for supply trucks, the truckers are not willing to resume service as they are also supporting the demand for repair of the road.
Ranjit Singh would spend the night at Lakhai and would come back tomorrow.