Imphal, July 07 2010: A loss of Rs 193.8 crore from the state exchequer is estimated during the 68-day long ANSAM-sponsored economic blockade on the national highways.

A study conducted by the Directorate of Economics and Statistics Department during the period from 2004 to 2007 showed a loss of Rs 2.85 crore per day during bandh or blockade imposed on the national highways in the state.

Economic blockade also gives direct impact to over 3,54,958 people including those people in business, transports and other service sectors.

It also directly hits over 96,920 people engaged in small scale industries apart from severely affecting the general people in the rural and hill areas of the state.

According to a report compiled by a research scholar of the Manipur University conducting research on bandh and blockade in the state during the period from 1970 to 2000, a total of 273 bandhs and blockades of 936 days had been witnessed in the state.

The report shows that the state experienced a loss of around two years and six months in 30 years due to bandhs and blockades.

A government report, in the meantime, says that during the year from 1995 till June of this year, a total of 650 economic blockade was imposed on the two national highways (NH-39 and 53) in the state.

It means, during the last 15 years, economic blockade was imposed one year and eight months.

The estimated loss in the state exchequer during the 15 year was Rs 997.5 crore.

Besides this, in the violent incidents related with the economic blockade like burning down of vehicles, destroying the goods, an estimated property worth around Rs 10,000 crore were damaged.

Government has no definite policy to recoup the loss during the said agitations.

During when Jarnail Singh was the chief secretary of the state, a government notification was issued stating that losses during bandhs and blockades will be collected from the bodies calling the strikes.

However, the same order could not enforced effectively till date and economic blockade has been using as a cheap means to fulfill certain demands light from the smallest by certain civil organisations, particularly based in the hill areas.

The impact of ANSAM sponsored economic blockade backed by UNC is not yet relief by the people.

Even after the end of the blockade, people are facing scarcity of essential items.

A great impact is also giving to the socio economy conditions of the state.

Though the impact could not be known today, the state will get the impact in the near future, experts in the field observed.

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