State to get highway protection force
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, April 01 2017: Chief Minister Nongthombam Biren Singh on Saturday said the Centre has given the green signal to raise four India Reserve Battalion (IRB) units for highway protection force to be deployed on the two vital routes of Manipur to ensure free passage of vehicles.

In a meeting attended by leaders of transporters' associations in his office, the Manipur Chief Minister also said he would personally meet his Nagaland and Assam counterparts on the frequent disruption faced by Manipur transporters on the way in Nagaland which was brought to the notice of the Chief Minister, an official release said.

Biren Singh said Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh would also attend the proposed meeting to be held in Guwahati.

He would sign an agreement with his Nagaland counterpart in the presence of Rajnath to ensure free movement of Manipur vehicles on Imphal-Dimapur road.

The transporters' bodies in the meeting raised the frequent disturbance faced by Manipur vehicles in neighbouring Nagaland which was brought to the notice of N Biren Singh.

During the meeting the Chief Minister appealed to the representatives of the transporters' associations of both goods and passenger services to take NH-2 without waiting for convoy as there are no more blockades there.

He assured them that personnel of IRB and Manpur Rifles will be deployed to give security cover on the highways.

Other than the blockades which are imposed frequently by some hill based organisations there are also reports of armed outfits extorting from goods vehicles on the highways.

Inquiry into accidents .

Chief Minister Biren Singh in the meeting instructed the Chief Secretary to initiate a probe into the recent fatal highway mishaps which claimed 23 lives and left many injured.

In view of the increasing number of road accidents, Biren Singh also instructed the Transport Commissioner to take up road safety measures like marking of zebra crossing, traffic signs in front of schools, road diversions, curves from tomorrow.

The Transport Commissioner was also asked by the Chief Minister to take action to ban use of gas horns in and around Imphal city.

Chief Secretary O Naba-kishore and other top officials were present at the meeting.

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