Manipur blockade lifted but truckers not willing to hit NH 39

Truckers in Manipur are not willing to hit the troubled NH 39 that connects border town of Moreh and Imphal to Assam valley through Dimapur in Nagaland, even after agitating Naga groups in Manipur – the All Naga Students' Association of Manipur and the United Naga Council -- have lifted the 67-days-long blockade of the highway from Friday evening.

Earlier, Nagaland based the Naga Students' Federation had "temporarily" relaxed the blockade along the Nagaland portion of the highway since June 15 evening, following their meeting with Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh in New Delhi.

Sources in Imphal said truckers from Manipur have expressed their unwillingness to ply along the NH 39 again, which they say are risky. Gangs of extortionists who collect about Rs 6 crore in a month from trucks plying along the highway especially within the portion in Nagaland, where the police force also allegedly plays blind to extortionists.

Meanwhile, trucks are yet to start plying towards Imphal from Assam and Nagaland side along the NH 39 though the blockade has come to an end since Friday evening.

Manipur truckers have requested the Manipur government to take urgent steps to improve the condition of NH 53 that links Silchar in South Assam to Imphal, as an alternative to NH 39.

At least four companies of the Central Reserve Police Force had arrived in Manipur till Friday for deployment along the NH 39 to secure movement of vehicles.

The Centre had promised many more companies of central paramilitary forces for the purpose.

The Transporters' and Drivers' Council, an apex body of transporters, truck and inter-state bus owners and drivers, had on June 11 resolved not to ply on Dimapur-Imphal section of the NH-39 until both the governments in Nagaland and Manipur dealt effectively with the diktats of some NGOs fleecing truckers at their whims and fancy.

Truck owners have agreed to stand by the TDC resolution to not ply trucks and inter-state buses along the NH 39 until both Nagaland and Manipur governments assured safe passage of vehicles on the route.