M A I N   N E W S

Manipur crisis
1,900 vehicles to bring essentials from Assam

Manipur has been facing acute shortage of foodgrains, petrol and life saving drugs due to the economic blockades imposed by the UNC on the Imphal-Jiribam-Silchar and the Imphal-Dimapur- Guwahati national highways to protest the demand of Sadar Hills District Demand Committee (SHDDC) to upgrade Kuki- majority Sadar Hills area into Naga-majority Senapati district into a full-fledged revenue district.

Manipur Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh had also appealed to the UNC to withdraw the blockade.

"We are having patience but the government may take stern action if the situation does not improve," Singh had said yesterday.

The SHDDC had ended its 93-day old economic blockades on the Manipur portions of the two national highways on October 31 after an agreement with the state government which agreed to convert the area into a revenue district.

There was a four-km-long queue yesterday at a petrol pump. Today only one pump was selling petrol.

Petrol is being sold in the black market for Rs 200 per litre and cooking gas at Rs 1,650 per cylinder.

During his recent visit to the state, Home Minister P Chidambaram had appealed to the people to settle all disputes through dialogue.

The UNC had launched the blockade since August 21 last to protest against the demand of the Sadar Hills District Demand Committee (SHDDC) to upgrade Kuki-majority Sadar Hills area in Naga-majority Senapati district into a full-fledged revenue district.

The SHDDC had ended its 93-day economic blockades on the Manipur portions of two national highways on October 31 after signing an agreement with the state government which agreed to convert the area into a revenue district after getting report from the District Reorganisation Committee headed by Chief secretary D S Poonia.

Market reports said there was four-kilometre long queue yesterday at a petrol pump to get a few litres of petrol.

Reports said only one pump was giving petrol but solely to school vans and buses today with other pumps having gone dry, reports said.

Petrol was being sold at Rs. 200 per litre at black market but even at the black market, petrol and its products were now very scarce, reports said.

Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh had said at a public function yesterday that he will do something about the blockade but did not elaborated.

During his recent visit to the state, Home Minister P Chidambaram had appealed to the people to settle all disputes through dialogue. — PTI