AMTDGF calls off indefinite blockade
Source: The Sangai Express

Kangpokpi, November 04 2022: The All Manipur Tribal Development Grievances Forum (AMTDGF) has called off its indefinite economic blockade along National Highway 2 (Imphal-Dimapur), and National Highway 37 (Imphal-Jiribam) with immediate effect.

The forum had imposed an indefinite economic blockade from midnight of November 3 along the two highways allegedly due to the Government's failure to release Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme funds amounting to Rs 756 crore.

However, the Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Department had claimed that the State Government had received Rs 756.50 crore for MGNREGS which is meant for all sixteen districts of the State, and out of the total amount sanctioned, Rs 100 crore has been disbursed and allocated to all 16 districts irrespective of whether the districts are in the hills or the valley while claiming that an additional amount of Rs 150 crore will be released soon and the remaining will be released in due course.

AMTDGF calls off indefinite blockade

Seikhosat Kipgen, vice president of AMTDGF said this morning that the forum's indefinite economic blockade has been called off with immediate effect following the assurance of the department concerned to release an additional amount of Rs 150 crore under MGNREGS to all the sixteen districts of the State and the remaining amount on phase wise basis within January 2023 without further delay.

Meanwhile, some leaders of the forum including its finance secretary, information secretaries, and a few executives from Kangpokpi and Senapati were reportedly detained by police since yesterday evening.

The vice president of the forum appealed to the state Government to release all the executive and blockade supporters detained by the police without any condition and also withdraw the arrest warrant issued against the AMTDGF executives.

He then conveyed heartfelt gratitude to all blockade supporters and the denizens of Manipur for their unceasing support and endorsement of the AMTDGF's movement in the larger interest of MGNREGA Job Card Holders of the State.

No stranded vehicles ferrying essential commodities were seen along the National Highway 2 in Senapati and Kangpokpi district rather empty trucks moving freely towards Dimapur side were seen and loaded trucks heading towards Imphal were also witnessed but in minimal number.

The detained AMTDGF's leaders from Kangpokpi are not yet released till the time of filing this report.