Imphal, May 20: The Okram Ibobi Singh government will bring in more essential items to the state through air and land, in anticipation that the ongoing economic blockade along the two main supply routes to Manipur would not be called off immediately.

With the next round of talks between the Centre and NSCN (I-M) reportedly scheduled next week in either Kohima or Viswema, the Manipur government does not expect the All Naga Students Association, Manipur (ANSAM) to lift the blockade before the parleys. The Naga students’ body had imposed the indefinite economic blockade along the Imphal-Dimapur and Imphal-Jiribam highways since April 11 against holding of autonomous district council elections in five hill districts. The association intensified the blockade after the Manipur government prevented NSCN (I-M) general secretary Thuingaleng Muivah to enter the state.
“We do not expect an end to the blockade in the near future. So we will use both air and land routes to bring enough stock of essential commodities,” government spokesperson N. Biren Singh said.

As of now, the Imphal-Dimapur highway does not figure in chief minister Ibobi Singh’s scheme of things. The Manipur government dropped plans to use the supply route after the state director-general of police Yumnam Joykumar Singh was asked by his Nagaland counterpart not to send the trucks till the situation became normal.

The Ibobi Singh government thereafter started using National Highway 53, linking Imphal and Silchar and National Highway 150 linking Imphal with Silchar via Mizoram.

While loaded trucks came through NH150, the chief minister sent more than 100 empty trucks to lift essential commodities from either Silchar or Guwahati yesterday with security escorts. The security escorts would bring loaded trucks that are stranded at Jiribam, bordering Cachar in Assam to Imphal by tomorrow.

“We are opting for National Highway 150 and Imphal-Jiribam because we can protect our trucks within the state and our trucks can move freely in Mizoram and Assam,” Biren Singh said. In addition to this, Ibobi Singh is using air force cargo planes to transport rice and medicine. Two air force cargo planes brought 50 quintals of rice each today. The rice was distributed in Imphal East and Bishnupur districts at Rs 16 per kg.

With this, the quantity of rice airlifted since May 17 rose to 220 quintals. These were distributed in Imphal West, Imphal East, Thoubal and Bishnupur. Fifty quintals of medicine were also airlifted to the state today. With this, the quantity of medicine airlifted to Manipur since May 17 went up to 110 quintals.

While shortage of essential commodities is being offset through transportation by air and road, the fuel stock in the state is running dry. Some fuel tankers stranded outside the state would also be reaching Imphal in the next few days, an official source said.