IMPHAL, NOVEMBER 12: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Manipur Pradesh urged the United Naga Council (UNC) and other Naga frontal organizations to lift the economic blockade and look for other methods to express their demands.
“Fuel shortage does not impact the people who sit in the corridors of power, it only impacts common people,” says President K Bhabananda of BJP Manipur Pradesh said in a press release. “We also want the government to immediately work out an agreement with the UNC to bring normalcy to the situation and relief to the people of the state.”
Bhabananda further alleged that the current economic blockade is yet another glaring example of the congress government’s total failure to govern the state.There seems to be no mechanism to deal with the situation.
The ongoing indefinite blockade on national highways passing through the state by UNC since November 1 midnight in protest against the alleged “lopsided decision” (of the state government) to declare the Sadar Hills and Jiribam sub-division into full fledged districts, has started to give impact to the normal life of the state since the last few days.
After the public distribution of petrol has been stopped since the last three days with the petrol stock went dry except around 133 kilolitres for emergency purposes in the state which daily requires around 160 kilolitres, the school van operators have stop their normal services since Friday affecting the functioning of many schools in and around Imphal.
On Thursday, UNC also announced to intensify the blockade and banning of construction of Trans Asian Railways and National projects in the Naga areas “till a written official assurance from Government of India is received on the position of creating new district(s).”
Meanwhile Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh on Saturday said that his government is taking all possible ways to bring the essential commodities particularly the petrol for the state.
Speaking to media persons on the sideline of the the day long seminar on ‘Role of media for development in the hill areas of Manipur’ organized by Manipur Hill Journalists’ Union here Chief Minister Ibobi said that the government has taken up necessary steps in consultation with the IOC(Indian Oil Corporation) officials. The government is also planning to use Imphal-Jiribam route for the transportation.
Reports available here that there are around 155 oil tankers being stranded at Khatkhati near Assam-Nagaland border.
