Dimapur incident hits supply of fuel, consumer items

FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

IMPHAL, March 7: There was a crippling impact of the mayhem at Dimpur on Manipur in terms of availaibility of fuel and consumer items. In fact it gave carte blanche to the traders to hike the already high prices on the flimsy pretext and the government did not ask any questions and pulled up the fleecing traders.

Though the second lifeline is NH 37 that origites from Silchar most of the drivers use NH 2 that skes through galand since it is in a better condition. Several thousands of trucks, oil tankers, buses, private vehicles were caught uwares when students and other activists took up the cudgels on Thursday. Besides the vehicular traffic was disrupted when curfew was imposed at Dimapur on Wednesday to control the mob activities. Most of the vehicles returned to Golaghat and parked there hoping that the trouble would pass away. The hotels in the Golaghat district did not a lucrative catering service to the passengers and drivers who were thus stranded. Trucks carrying consumer items, oil tankers were also stranded. The traders in Manipur took undue advantage of it to hike the prices.

However the government officials did not point it out that these items had been brought to Manipur long before the mayhem. All the petrol pumps in Manipur were locked out though the official version is that it is for the holi festival.

Official sources in galand said that efforts are on to lift curfew gradually and at least allow the Imphal bound vehicles to pass through since they pose no threat.