Imphal, October 26: With frequent bandhs, blockades and general strikes not only crippling economy of the comparatively backward State but also causing severe inconveniences to the common people, the SPF Government is all set to penalise bandh supporters and organisers with effect from tomorrow.

According to a reliable source there will be no leniency against organisations responsible for sponsoring blockades/bandhs as the Chief Secretary Jarnail Singh yesterday instructed the police chief Y Joykumar to track down leaders of agitating bodies so that appropriate action could be initiated against such elements.

In the written instruction to the DGP, the Chief secretary is informed to have insisted on invoking clauses of National Security Act (NSA) in detaining and prsecuting leaders of bandh/blockade sponsors without any leniency, besides making it mandatory for the police authorities to submit detailed report to the Government on weekly basis regarding action taken in this regard.

The Chief Secretary's instruction comes in the backdrop of the October 24 Cabinet decision to initially exercise utmost restraint against the agitators with a rider that failure to heed stand/appeal of the Government would entail punitive action from october 27 onwards.

Moreover, the Supreme Court apart from banning all forms of disruptive agitations (bandhs/strikes) had already decreed that individuals/organisations responsible for inconveniencing the public and causing loss of property be penalised and the perpetrators pulled up to compensate destruction of properties.

Conceding that despite previous legislations and Government decision prohibiting bandh and strikes, no punitive action could be initiated so far, the source however asserted that from tomorrow onwards the ban would be enforced at any cost.

deviating from the bandh/strike ban issues, the source also conveyed of the Chief Secretary having intimated to the DGP to book and prosecute Government officials, suppliers and contractors found to be maintaining illicit relationships with outlawed organisations.

It may be recalled that jarnail Singh had already issued a similar order restricting movement of Government officials so as to check instances of officials establishing contact with activists of banned organisations on monetary (extortion) or any other unauthorised purposes within and outside the State.

On the otherhand, under strong security cover a number of goods carriers which were stuck at Mao Gate and Senapati district areas for the last couple of days owing to the indefinite economic blockade imposed by the Thadou Students' Association are being escorted back to the State capital.

Till the time of filing this report the vehicles have crossed Senapati district headquarters with some of them suffering damages when suspected blockade supporters pelted stones at Sapermeina and Motbung areas.

There is no report of human casualty or injury.

In all about 200 trucks, including many previously stranded for nearly 10 days on the Nagaland side of the NH-39 due to landslide in Lalmati area, are said to be on their way.

The Thadou Students' Association in pursuit of its demands pertaining to improvement of basic educational infrastructure in Sadar Hills had been enforcing the blockade on both the NH-39 and NH-53 Imphal-silchar route since October 23.The trucks being escorted back to the State capital include 14 fuel tankers, three bullet tankers (LPG carriers) and over 100 vehicles carrying other essential goods.

According to Senapati district's Superintendent of Police Nishit Kumar Ujwal security measures have been beefed up along vulnerable section of the Imphal-Dimapur stretch with particular thrust on Kuki inhabited areas to ensure blockade supporters do not disrupt passage of the loaded vehicles.

District police officials including the Additional SP and officers in-charge of respective police posts/stations were positioned to supervise patrolling at sensitive points in order to foil any attempt by agitators to attack the truckers, the SP said.

TSA functionaries had been demanding that State Government pay immediate attention to plight of the student community of Sadar Hills with stern warning that failure to act positively at the earliest would constrain its volunteers to target Government schools located in Sadar Hills.

mention may be made that suspected blockade supporters had torched a goods laden truck near Leikok village on October 23 evening.

Comment