IMPHAL, Dec. 8: The director of Information and Public Relations (IPR) in Manipur has been advised to take measures to maintain harmony between ‘different classes of the people’ in the state.
In its order passed last month, the High Court of Manipur appreciated the suggestion by counsels that the director of IPR be advised to take measures so that harmony in between the different classes of the people be maintained in the state.
A 3-member bench of the court passed a ruling on November 7 this year following a petition by one Rajkumar Joysana Singh.
As per the court order which was made available here on Thursday, it stated that the state government must take adequate steps for preventing the people from putting counter economic blockade and also for lifting of economic blockade put at highways as these acts appears to be a disturbing feature and it may cause disharmony in between different classes.
The ruling had also directed to take necessary steps “for lifting economic blockade from National Highway-2 (Imphal-Mao route) so that there be traffic movement of goods carriers.”
Meanwhile, even as goods trucks including a good number of oil tankers arrive here, the state’s authority is rationing fuel at select oil pumps across the state.
As a result, residents in Imphal continue to stay overnight and stand in long queues for hours to refill their vehicles.
Since Wednesday night till Thursday morning, around 476 loaded trucks including around 200 oil tankers have arrived here from Jiribam with full security escort led by a commandant of the Manipur Rifles.
However, a similar number of goods carriers, including three oil tankers, reportedly remain stranded at Jiribam sub-divisional headquarters, about 220 km west of Imphal. They are said to have been stranded following reports of repairs on an important bridge located at the Barak along Imphal-Jiribam route, reports said.
Manipur has been reeling from artificial scarcity of essentials particularly food grains and petroleum products after the United Naga Council called for an indefinite economic blockade on National Highways in Manipur from November 1 midnight. They are protesting the government’s alleged attempt to announce Sadar Hills and Jiribam into full fledged districts.
Church bodies and civil society organisations including the Tribal Churches Leaders Forum and All Manipur Christian Organisation have appealed for relaxation of the ongoing indefinite economic blockade and another counter blockade to give a ‘breathing space’ to the state on humanitarian grounds.
