Imphal, June 16, 2010: Along with Union Home Secretary GK Pillai holding a joint meeting with the Chief Secretary of Manipur DS Poonia and two Additional Chief Secretaries of Nagaland at New Delhi today to discuss issues relating to movement of vehicles along National Highways 39 and 53, it has been decided that Central Paramilitary Forces to be deployed on the National Highways leading to Manipur as well as in Nagaland would be airlifted from their respective stations from tomorrow.

On the other hand, Naga Hoho has invited both NSF and ANSAM for a joint meeting at Kohima on June 18 to discuss lifting of the economic blockade.

According to a highly place source, the meeting chaired by Union Home Secretary GK Pillai was held in his office chamber at around 5 pm today.

Though the Chief Secretaries of the two neighbouring States had been invited, the Chief Secretary of Nagaland Lalthara could not attend the meeting.

In his place, Additional Chief Secretaries A Jamir and Toshi Aier attended the meeting and discussed issues relating to movement of vehicles though National Highways 39 and 53 and the problems being faced in Manipur following imposition of economic blockade on these highways.

Taking note of the fact that Naga Students' Federation had withdrawn the blockade in Nagaland from 6 pm yesterday, the meeting seriously considered the order of the Gauhati High Court issued to the Central Government as well as to the State Governments of Nagaland and Manipur that National Highways 39 and 53 be kept free from all obstructions.

All sides reiterated the importance of keeping the National Highways open for movement of goods and people.

Accordingly, it was decided that the Union Ministry of Home Affairs will make the necessary arrangements for airlifting three battalions of Central Paramilitary forces for Manipur and two other battalions for Nagaland for deployment along the NH-39 from Imphal to Mao and Mao to Dimapur respectively.

Furthermore, it was resolved that transportation and lifting of the required petroleum products including petrol, diesel, LPG, etc as well as other essential commodities of every day use from Assam would resume along the National Highway 39 with the protection of the Central Paramilitary force from June 19. The meeting also discussed matters related to permanent arrangement of National Highway Protection Force for protecting and keeping open the National Highway 39, the source.

Meanwhile, Naga Hoho, the apex body of the Naga organisations, has invited both NSF and ANSAM for a joint meeting at Kohima on June 18 to discuss the economic blockade along the National Highways.

It is expected that Naga Hoho would be exerting pressures on the two student bodies to lift the economic blockade.

Though NSF has relaxed its stand on the entry of Manipur-bound vehicles inside Nagaland with effect from 6 pm yesterday, ANSAM is yet to lift its economic blockade in Manipur.

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