IMPHAL, February 28: Inner Manipur MP, Dr Thokchom Meinya has raised the need to set up a dedicated national highway protection force to ensure smooth movement of goods and essential commodities on the National Highways in Manipur.<\/p>\n
On the 2nd day of the ongoing Budget Session of Parliament on February 24, Inner Manipur MP, Dr. Thokchom Meinya in an intervention in the Lok Sabha stated: `The National Highways in Manipur are once again under blockade since 18th February.<\/p>\n
The Joint Action Committee (JAC) on Kadangband killing has gone ahead with its proposed 5 days economic blockade on all National Highways from that midnight.<\/p>\n
Consequently, the trucks carrying essential commodities, passenger buses, oil tankers etc. have stopped plying on these National Highways.<\/p>\n
As a result, essential commodities including food items and life saving drugs, gas, petrol etc are allegedly made un-available. Taking advantage of this, the hoarders and shopkeepers hike the prices of goods and commodities.<\/p>\n
This causes tremendous hardships to the people of the State forcing them to buy them at sky-rocketed prices.<\/p>\n
Bandhs and blockades are very frequent on the National Highways of Manipur. Even though the present blockade was over on the midnight of February 23, such a blockade needed to be dealt with at once.<\/p>\n
So I request the Union Government and the Home Ministry in particular to immediately intervene and help the state government to mitigate the same at the earliest.<\/p>\n
In order to deal with blockades of the National Highways, in a long term perspective, once again I urge upon the Union Government to set-up a dedicated National Highway Protection Force so that the National Highways, the life-lines of the State of Manipur, are fully secured and insulated from these bandhs and blockades and thus to ensure smooth movement of goods and essential communities particularly in Manipur.`\u009d<\/p>\n\n