Economic blockade relaxed for six days

In response to the appeal of Works Minister K Ranjit and MLAs of Senapati district, the Senapati District Students’ Association (SDSA) has agreed to relax the economic blockade on NH-39 temporarily for six days.On the other hand 34 loaded trucks and 56 tankers crossed Mao gate today afternoon.The student body, however, refused to lift the blockade completely which has been in force since November 1.The SDSA acceded to relax the blockade for six days after a four hour long meeting at Senapati indoor stadium today. The meeting was attended by Works Minister K Ranjit, MLAs M Thorii, K Raina, Doukhomang Khongsai, PWD officials, president of the Truck Owners’ Welfare Association H Ranjit, secretary Y Lukeshwar, secretary of Manipur Drivers’ Welfare Association Tomba and representatives of SDSA.According to the agreement, the economic blockade will be relaxed till midnight of November 19.On their part, Works Minister K Ranjit and the Senapati MLAs maintained that six days relaxation is too short. Even as the Minister and the MLAs strongly urged the student representatives to relax the blockade till December, the student leaders refused to budge. Rather they asked the Government representatives to start the highway repairing work during the period of blockade relaxation in a manner that would be satisfactory to the public .The student body asserted that they will call off the blockade only after seeing progress of the work. In case the highway development work does not make due progress, the blockade will be reimposed, they maintained. To this stance of the SDSA, Works Minister K Ranjit said that the economic blockade being imposed to repair the highway has been ironically impeding highway development work as materials including bitumen required for repairing road could not be brought in. Click here to know more