Ibobi, PC confer over prevailing situation CM to meet PM today
Stranded drivers caught in no man's land, haunting queues at petrol pump
Source: The Sangai Express / Ninglun Hanghal

Imphal/Delhi, August 21 2011: Chief Minister Okram Ibobi met Union Home Minister P Chidambaram today and held a detailed discussion on the the situation prevailing in Manipur following the prolonged blockades and bandhs on the National Highways.

Ibobi is scheduled to meet the Prime Minister tomorrow and discuss the same issues.

Today's meeting with the Home Minister was the second in two days, the earlier one being held yesterday.

An official source informed that the meeting held yesterday at New Delhi discussed in detail the prevailing situation in Manipur.

The Chief Minister is scheduled to return home on August 23 and then leave for a foreign tour.

Ibobi also met representatives of the Sadar Hills Districthood Demand Committee (SHDDC) during his stay at Delhi.

On the other hand, SHDDC members have also met the Home Minister.

With the supply lines cut off, long queue at a petrol pump-File

Even as the Chief Minister and the Union Home Minister discussed the situation in Manipur, the impact of the blockade on the National Highways has begun to hit the people hard.

With the supply lines cut off, rationing of fuel started some days back and the serpentine queues at petrol pumps have once again come back to haunt the collective psyche of the people.

P Chidambaram, in addition to asking the SHDDC to call off the general strike and the blockade, has taken up certain measures to see that the blockade is lifted, conveyed the source.

On the other hand, Home Minister P Chidambaram invited the SHDDC delegates at his residence in Delhi this morning and stated that he had advised the Chief Minister of Manipur to work out an amicable solution to the ongoing problem.

The Home Minister reportedly instructed the Chief Minister to hold talks with the SHDDC leaders as soon as possible.

"SHDCC feels the apprehension that new demands and proposal of such nature would arise in the aftermath of creation of Sadar Hills district are 'rumours' invented to disturb the Sadar Hills districthood demand", its general secretary told The Sangai Express.

The Home Minister conceded that the Sadar hills matter is unique and cannot be contested but observed that such apprehension over the proposal are irrelevant, conveyed the general secretary.

As required by the Home Minister, SHDDC also produced relevant documents in support of their demand.

The demand for a full fledged Sadar Hills district rationale were based on the documents of the Government of Manipur, Secretariat, Planning and Development Department notification in February 1972; minutes of the Cabinet meeting held in July 1982; the speech of Governor of Manipur in the State Assembly in 1997; the Cabinet meeting of Govt of Manipur held in January 2000; .

All these documents had officially mentioned declaration of the upgradation of Sadar hills to a full fledged district, claimed the general secretary.

Meanwhile, around 200 loaded trucks which were stranded at Maram because of the indefinite general strike being imposed by SHDDC retreated to Kohima as they were asked to leave the area.

The trucks were advised to leave even as the indefinite bandh imposed by Naga frontal organisations under the aegis of United Naga Council came into force from today.

The bandh has been called to oppose any design to carve out areas of Naga territories to make way for Sadar Hills district.

After putting up at Kohima for about four days, around 100 trucks loaded with essential commodities like potato, dal, onion and fertilizer left for Jiribam this evening as they could not see any hope of Imphal-Dimapur road opening in the coming days.

Another 100 loaded trucks which left Jessami for Imphal have been stranded at Pfutzero, Nagaland.

Meanwhile, it is reported that many drivers and transporters who are currently stranded at Kohima after being stranded for days at Maram have fallen ill .

Talking to The Sangai Express from Kohima, the stranded and sick transporters sought immediate attention of all concerned.