Imphal, February 14: At least three women have been injured when police burst tear gas shells to disperse a group of agitators who were enforcing the national Highway 39 bandh from Chingmeirong till Koirengei at Khabam Lamkhai area this morning.

The bandh has been subsequently suspended following an assurance by the Works Minister to resume road construction works on a war footing from February 15 onwards.

The Minister's assurance was conveyed to a team of the North imphal United Clubs and Meira Paibis' Organisation in a meeting also attended by the Chief Engineer and Superintendent Engineer of the department concerned as well as MLA N Biren, said a NIUCAMO release.

While regretting inconveniences caused to delegates proceeding for the Naga seed sowing festival, Lui-Ngai Ni, the Organisation also condemned the inhumane crackdown by police commandos who are alleged to have not even spared elderly persons.

NIUCAMO, however, acknowledged the maturity and politeness of the SP and expressed hope that the police officer's conduct in dealing public issue would be endorsed and followed by the commando personnel.

Those hurt while enforcing the bandh are identified as N Jati Devi (70), Tongbram Gopeshori Devi (45) and N Pishak Devi.

All the injured who are from Khabam Lamkhai have been admitted to a nearby private medical centre.

the body resorted to bandh to protest State Government's alleged indifferent attitude to demand for expeditious completion of a portion of the National Highway.

According to women's wing convenor of the Organisation W Bormani Devi, one police personnel also suffered injuries when a smoke bomb exploded before being lobbed towards the bandh supporters who were trying to enforce the agitation that began from midnight of February 13.Contending that muted response of the Government to repeated appeals for completion of the nearly four year old highway expansion programme from Chingmeirong till Koirengei Bazar had compelled NIUCAMO to resort to the agitation, she also listed seven persons having killed in motor mishaps and many others critically wounded with scattering of boulders, piling of logs, roadside drain and road median main factors for causing accidents.

Expressing that had Government shown keenness in executing the task of the same work could have been completed within a month, Bormani also charged the contractors and engineers concerned for ignoring enormous difficulties faced by commuters and roadside dwellers on daily basis.

Asserting that the agitation will continue until expansion and black topping programme of the 10 kilometre stretch is completed, the women's wing convenor also warned of launching other form of agitation in case Government fail to honour the public demand.

Owing to the bandh call, passenger buses and goods carriers bound for Guwahati and other places from Imphal were rerouted via lamsang and Pheidinga.

While State authorities have put security on maximum alert to ensure trouble free vehicular movements on the important route, suspected bandh supporters also burnt logs and tyres to prevent plying of vehicles at various points of the highway.

On the other hand, the JAC of Imphal-Moreh Road Transporters has decided to call off its agitation with immediate effect as State authorities had reportedly assured to look into their grievances.

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