Imphal, May 10 2010: The State Cabinet has decided to make the oil pumps open and issue petrol and diesel according to the availability of the stocks.

The Cabinet also decided to have essential commodities transported with security escorts on the National Highway-53 twice a week.

The decisions were taken at the Cabinet meeting held this morning at the Conference Hall of the Chief Minister's Secretariat.

Spokesperson of the SPF Government and also Minister of IFCD and YAS, N Biren told media-persons that there is stock of petroleum products enough to last around 10 days.

However, since there was a disagreement between the Government and the owners of the oil pumps, the fuel was not issued.

But as the disagreement has been resolved now, the fuels could be issued to the public, the spokesperson said.

Food and Civil Supplies (FCS) and all petrol filling stations had made an arrangement that the latter will be distributing fuels to the public with certain limits from Tuesday, he assured.

Minister Biren further said that the stock of life saving drugs would last about 15 to 20 days.

He admitted that there is a shortage of supply in LPG in the state.

Chief Minister O Ibobi has met the officials of Border Road Task Force (BRTF) in his office chamber today and discussed with them the improvement works on National Highway 53 to be done faster.

The BRTF officials have given assurance in this regard.

Minister Biren said that as the goods laden trucks can not come on National Highway 39, they all have gone towards Silchar.

Since only ten tons of weight can cross over the bridges on NH-53, the goods vehicles presently stranded in Silchar have begun re-arranging their loads to make it upto only 10 tons each.

Meanwhile, there is an acute shortage of cooking gas in the state.

A fully loaded gas bullet vehicle weighs 20 metric tons.

Therefore, 10 tons of wight would have to be reduced from the loaded gas bullet vehicles, the spokesperson said.

He said, officials and DCs concerned have been sent to Awangkhul, Noney, Jiribam, etc.

on NH-53 where some people have set up road blocks by piling up boulders and placing tree trunks for negotiatation.

Two days back, the DGP of Nagaland had informed the DGP, Manipur not to send Manipur's vehicles.

Therefore, the Government of Manipur has requested the Union Home Minister to provide security on NH-39 in Nagaland.

The main agenda of today's Cabinet meeting was to send trucks on NH-53 to make up the shortage of essential commodities and also to bring back the goods laden trucks stranded outside Manipur safely to the state, Minister Biren said.