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Imphal, Mar 4 : The Centre has agreed in
principle to the raising of two more India Reserve Battalions (IRB) in
Manipur for deployment along the Imphal-Dimapur and Imphal-Jiribam
highways as a dedicated protection force to ensure free movement of
trucks.
Deputy chief minister Gaikhangam, who is
also the home minister, told the Assembly today that the force would be
deployed once the two battalions were raised after getting formal
sanction from the Centre under the national highway protection scheme.
He said chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh
had been pursuing the matter with the Centre and hoped that Delhi would
give its nod very soon.
Manipur already has eight IRBs engaged in the security of VVIPs and dealing with law and order.
Ibobi Singh had first raised the issue of
raising a highway protection force before the Centre in 2008 in view of
the frequent disruption of supply of essential commodities during bandhs
and blockades on the state’s two supply lines. Hill-based organisations
frequently call economic blockades along the Imphal-Dimapur (National
Highway 2) and Imphal-Jiribam (National Highway 37) roads to press for
their demands, disrupting supplies.
The first impact of such blockades is
immediately felt on fuel as disruption of supply triggers panic buying
and black marketeers exploit the situation. “Inept handling” of the
situation by the state’s consumer affairs, food and public distribution
department has at times worsened the situation. The recent four-day
bandh in Karbi Anglong also affected fuel supply in Manipur.
Gaikhangam admitted that highway blockades
and bandhs were a serious problem as NH37 and NH2 were the only supply
lines for Manipur. Any bandh or blockade in neighbouring Nagaland or
Assam also disrupts supplies to Manipur.
As an immediate measure, the state
government provides security escorts for supply trucks during the
blockades. However, transporters are unwilling to continue services
during the blockades as bandh supporters attack them despite security
escorts.
Gaikhangam said CRPF, state police and village defence force personnel were currently deployed along the two national highways.
Trinamul Congress member Th. Shyamkumar
Singh demanded that the state government should immediately deploy two
battalions of state forces along the two highways.
The Assembly today unanimously passed the
Manipur State Commission for the Scheduled Tribes Bill, 2014 without
much discussion.
Gaikhangam, who is in-charge of tribal
affairs and hills, said once the commission was set up, Scheduled Tribes
in any part of the state could approach the commission to get their
grievances redressed.
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