Imphal, May 15: A ministerial team today left Imphal to conduct a physical inspection on the feasibly of using NH-150 (Guite road) for using the Imphal-Churachandpur-Aizawl via Silchar route as alternative route to procure essential commodities.

Meanwhile, state government has sought help from the Army in the transportation of rice to the Tamenglong district where
the people are facing acute shortage of foodstuffs as a result of economic blockade on the national highways compounded with counter blockade at Jiribam.

The ministerial team comprising state works minister, K Ranjit and transport and education minister, L Jayentakumar has left Imphal today morning to assess the road condition of the stretch of the NH-150 in the hill section in Churachandpur for feasibility of the using as alternative route for the time being.

The team will inspect the stretch of the NH-150 (Guite road) and NH-150(B) (Tipaimukh road) connected Imphal with Aizawl, officials of the state public works department accompanied the ministerial team said before leaving for inspections. The report of the finding on road condition will be submitted to the government after the team arrives at Imphal tomorrow.

It is pertinent to mention here that around 40 Imphal bound freight trucks stranded at Silchar had already started heading for Aizawl to proceed Imphal through the NH-150 yesterday. Apart from this a police report from Churachandpur said many trucks and mini trucks started plying on this road since the last few days to collect essential commodities from outside the state.

Manipur government chose the NH-150 as for the time being movement of good ferrying could not able to pass through the NH-53 due to weak bridges couple with landslide at various places on the stretch and security problem as well. And it would not be saved for state vehicles crossing Nagaland on the NH-39 for the time being as state vehicles were banned by the NSF.

On the other hand, the Zomi Students’ Federation (ZSF), is reported to have appreciated government’s acknowledgement for opening and maintaining Guite road and Tipaimukh road as an alternative outlet of the state but put down certain demands from the state government for the save passage of the vehicles.

A statement of ZSF signed by its general secretary Smith K Simte yesterday in Churachandpur has reportedly urged the state government for initiating steps to repair the roads including bridges to reduce the danger of road incident and put into service JCP and bulldozers at all strategic locations instead of militarization of the area in the name of protection of vehicles.

The federation also demanded round the clock mobile ambulance service fitted with all emergency equipments’ and support staff and provide adequate transport subsidy, particularly to the vehicles transporting essential commodities.

On the other hand, state government considering the suffering of the people facing acute shortage of foodstuffs has sought the assistance of Army based in Silchar in escorting rice from FCS godown in Jiribam to the district headquarters, a reliable source said.

People of Tamenglong district of Manipur has affected mostly by the month long economic blockade and bandh imposed by the ANSAM in protest against the conduct of the elections to the hill district councils under the Manipur (Hill Areas) District Council Act, 2008 commenced from April 11 last and counter blockade launched by the residents of Jiribam against the chaka bandh on the NH-53 by the Zeliangrong Students’ Union, Manipur since May 6 last.

Due to the exhaustion of rice stocks at government FCS godown and businessmen unable to replenish rice stocks in their shops have resulted in non-availability of the rice in the district where people entirely depend on import rice production was drastically low owing to drought last year.

Official source Saturday said that in response to the SOS from the deputy commissioner of the district, Manipur government has asked the authority of the 57 Mountain Division based at Silchar to provide security in procuring rice from Jiribam FCS godown to Tamenglong district.

The DC and SP of Tamenglong had left the district headquarters for Jiribam to ferry 849 quintal of rice already loaded at five trucks and stranded at the godown complex owing to the blockade on the NH-53, the only route to reach the district, the source said.