Trucks to transport consumer goods to Imphal

From our special correspondent
IMPHAL September 10: Over 250 lorries loaded with consumer items, petrol, diesel and LPG cylinders are set to leave Jiribam for Imphal on Thursday as soon as armed escorts are available. Allvehicular traffic along NH 37 that links Jiribam to Imphal through the 222 km long mountain road was blocked since August 25 following the damage of a bridge over the Barack river. It took all these for the BRTF personnel to fix some planks and wooden poles over the small bridge. However the drivers cannot come to Imphal although the bridge was ready for traffic on Wednesday. This is because of the fact that there are various forms of blockades and strikes. At the moment there is a 60 hour blockade. Besides another 24 hour strike is enforced in the Sadar Hills area which will affect the traffic along this highway. Another report says that the NH 2 linking Assam to Manipur via galand was open two days back. Loaded lorries were permitted to ply from Thursday. However armed escort is needed since there are troubles here and there against the three bills. Manipur has been facing shortage of various items and absence of many consumer items including eggs. The traders get a free hand to hike the prices whimsically despite the fact that these items had been brought to Manipur long before the rockslide and damaged bridge. Under heavy armed escorted over 400 trucks and oil tankers left Imphal on Wednesday to fetch various items from Assam. There is a shortage of paramilitary forces since the law and order in some tribal domited areas has to be tackled. Police and paramilitary forces had been rushed to such areas from other districts. There is a growing fear that some tribal organisations which feel that the localised and ephemeral strikes have not had the desired results may impose longer strikes. In the past there had been economic blockades lasting 103 days at one go. Several unscrupulous persons who had taken advantage of the gravy train had earned huge income during the period Manipur remained cut off from the rest of the country.