Rajnath Singh reviews essential commodities' supply to Manipur

The Centre on Saturday reviewed the supply of essential ommodities to Manipur where normal life was badly affected due to a 80-day long economic blockade of a key highway.

An inter-ministerial meeting, chaired by Home Minister Rajnath Singh and attended by Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, reviewed the stock of foodgrains and petroleum products in Manipur and how to replenish the supply.

Top officials, including Union Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi, briefed the meeting about the prevailing situation in the northeastern state and steps taken to improve the supply position, official sources said.

Prices of all commodities, especially foodgrains, have skyrocketed while petrol, diesel and LPG cylinders are being sold at high prices in blackmarkets, raising serious concerns in the central government, they said.

Since November 1, the United Naga Council has imposed the economic blockade on NH-2 (Imphal-Dimapur) and NH-37 (Imphal-Jiribam) that serve as lifelines for the landlocked Manipur.

While NH-37 was partially reopened, there is no traffic movement on NH-2.

The Ministry of Home Affairs has been making repeated efforts to find a way to have the NH-2 opened. On November 15, 2016, tripartite talks with government of Manipur and United Naga Council were called at New Delhi to discuss the economic blockade, which were not attended by Government of Manipur.

On December 22, Home Minister Rajnath Singh had written to Manipur Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh asking him to discharge his Constitutional obligations of keeping the National Highways open and ensuring supplies of essential commodities.