At the initiative of Union Home Ministry...
Four rice laden trucks arrive via NH-39
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, July 26 2010: Even as four trucks loaded with rice arrived here today from FCI godown at Dimapur under the initiative of the Ministry of Home Affairs through National Highway 39, two companies of CRPF have been posted inside Nagaland for protection of Manipur bound vehicles.

IOC has also instructed the oil tankers to take the National Highway-39 (ImphalDimapur Road) route.

Information received from Senapati district police said that the four rice laden trucks that came from FCI godown at Dimapur were escorted upto Mao Gate by Nagaland Police and from Mao Gate State police escorted the trucks to Imphal.

The vehicles which were attacked for defying the NH-39 boycott call

No Imphal-bound oil tanker have arrived through National Highway-39 today, the source added.

According to an official source, as part of the arrangements being made by the Ministry of Home Affairs, to overcome shortage of essential commodities including petroleum products in Manipur, through resumption of transportation and traffic movement along Imphal-Dimapur Road, necessary instructions have also been given to the oil tankers, which are loading fuel from Bekhuchi, Guwahati to proceed towards Khatkhati.

The instructions that were issued by the Assistant Manager, State Level Co-ordinator of IOC says that the oil tankers should come along the Imphal-Dimapur stretch of NH-39, the official said, while disclosing that IOC had also submitted a report to the Ministry on the prevailing situation in Manipur.

In the report, IOC noted that trucks have not plied for the last 103 days following the decision of Transporters and Drivers' Council not to take the National Highway 39 after the 68 days long economic blockade imposed by Naga frontal organisations along the two National Highways connecting Manipur to the rest of the country.

With regard to the existing stock position of petroleum products at the IOC depot, Chingmeirong, the official informed that petrol, diesel and ATF is respectively for seven days while kerosene is for four days.

However, the existing stock of LPG (Cooking gas) is said to be only for one day.

Meanwhile, according to a top official of the State Home Department, as part of the arrangement being made by the Union Home Ministry, two companies of CRPF have been deployed inside Nagaland for the protection of vehicles passing through National Highway 39.With exception to one company of CRPF posted at Mao on Manipur side of Imphal-Dimapur Road, all the other paramilitary forces deployed earlier have been withdrawn.