Imphal, May 25: Suspected underground elements have detained 22 trucks loaded with construction material for the Individual Adult Rearing House (IARH) of the Japanese Govt funded Sericulture Project on the Assam side near Dimapur in Nagaland.

The vehicles were reportedly coming from Gurgaon in Haryana towards Imphal before being stopped at the commercial hub of Nagaland allegedly on demand for Rs 6 crores from a UG group whose identity is yet to be confirmed.

according to reports culled by the press, the vehicles were carriers of a transport agency called Modern Prefab System Private Limited and had loaded the IARH construction material from the north Indian state.

IARHs for the sericulture project are supposed to be built with the National Building Construction Corporation as the nodal agency.

The contents of the trucks which include pre-fabricated super structure and tubular structure for building 4000 IARHs and 100 Chawkie Rearing Centres are said to be worth about Rs 2 crore.

Construction activities of the IARHs that would serve as weaving centres and cocoon (silk) rearing houses started from January this year.

The venture is targeted to be completed in nine month's time at an estimated cost of Rs 58 crore.

the source said that the State Government has established contact with NBCC officials for more particulars on the incident including registration numbers of the detained vehicles so that security provisions and related arrangements can be finalised in consultation with Nagaland and Assam Governments.

Such unsavoury incidents and past events of extortion demands by banned organisations have been hampering smooth progress of various developmental projects being taken up in the state, added the source.

Transport agencies engaged to ferry construction material are reluctant to entertain approaches from contractors handling projects in Manipur due to huge demands slapped on the transporters and constant threats posed to the carriers and vehicle operators, said the source.

Disruptive elements have also intervened in the BT Road flyover project and construction of three market complexes in Khwairamband added the source.

Though the State Government has already floated the tender for the construction of the Cultural Complex Centre, there have been no takers so far due to the threat perceptions from underground organisations.

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