Imphal, September 02: The State Government has decided to provide security escorts to essential carriers of goods including petroleum product carriers along NH-39 every day with effect from tomorrow.

Earlier security escort was provided on alternate days on this route.

Disclosing this, a source informed the press that this was conveyed to transporters during a meeting convened by IGP (LO-II) A Romenkumar at the Police Headquarters today morning.

A number of police officers including DIG Range I Dinokumar, CO of 1st IRB Laxmi Prasad Chhetry and Imphal West Additional SP Th Radhyeshyam were present.

The Deputy Manager of IOC and the IOCL (AOD) MKK Pegoo were also present.

Representatives of the Manipur Truck Owners' Welfare Association, Manipur Drivers' Welfare Association and All Manipur Petroleum Tankers Drivers' Union were also present at the meeting.

During the meeting, the IGP informed the transporters that anti-social elements have been troubling goods laden trucks as well as empty trucks leaving Manipur to lift goods from outside the State in between Sekmai and Sapermeina along NH-39.With a view to neutralise the activities of the anti-social elements, a new security strategy will be put into place, informed Romen, said the source further.

To enable empty trucks to leave Imphal and lift goods from outside the State, the transporters were told to report at Kangla one day ahead or before 5 am of the day of departure.

The empty trucks will leave at 6 am and will be escorted upto Mao and from there security will be provided by Nagaland police.

The same team will escort back the loaded trucks from Mao gate at 2 pm till Imphal, said the source further.

The OC of Sekmai police has also been instructed to ensure that no empty truck proceeds beyond Sekmai without security escort, said the source and added that the OC of Mao police too has been directed to see that no loaded trucks leave Mao Gate without security escort.

Yesterday a large number of empty trucks were made to turn back towards Imphal by some gun wielding men near Sekmai on the ground that no vehicles should ply on NH-39.The documents of some trucks were also seized by the armed persons.

According to a reliable source, the documents of about 100 trucks have been seized along NH-39 and the owners are having a hard time trying to get back the impounded documents.

Given the circumstances a number of drivers are reluctant to take the NH-39 route, said a source.

After crossing Mao, each truck has to pay hefty taxes to an underground outfit and what is more the drivers are also subjected to a lot of hardship and inconvenience along the way on this route, said the source further.