Economic blockade triggers commodity crisis in Manipur

IMPHAL: Shortage of essential commodities have resurfaced in the hill districts of Manipur with economic blockades imposed on national highways by the Nagas and the Kukis over creation of Sadar Hills district showing no signs being called off.

In pursuit of its decades old stir, the Sadar Hills District Demand Committee (SHDCC) has been imposing economic blockades on national highways 39 and 53 since August 1. The UNC has also called a similar stir on the same routes in protest against the state government's alleged attempt to bifurcate Naga-dominated areas to create new districts.

Among others, the hill districts of Senapati, Ukhrul and Tamenglong are facing acute shortage of petroleum products and food stuff, sources said even as a number of trucks loaded with commodities from Assam reached Imphal along NH-53 under heavy security cover on Monday.

Following intimation from the district administration (Senapati), the state government has asked the IOC to allow direct transportation of petroleum products from Dimapur to Senapati along NH-39, a source said. To implement the new exercise, the petroleum ministry has also been appealed to instruct the IOC, he added.

The Senapati district administration has informed the state government that the stock of rice and sugar at the district's food and civil supplies godown was almost nil. In Tamenglong, through which the NH-53 passes, no petroleum products are available, except a little quantity of fuel available in the black market, Ukhrul district is also facing a similar situation though availability of fuel is improving.

As the price of an LPG cylinder has soared to Rs 2,000, people have now switched over to either firewood or charcoal even as the price of these traditional items has gone up owing to shortage of supply. Likewise, a large number of people in the city have also begun using bicycles to avoid buying petrol at Rs 140 a litre in the grey market.

Market analysts, however, expressed disappointment over the poor stock of foodstuff in godowns, as well as fuel in the outlets, considering regular inflow of the same from the neighbouring states under heavy security arrangements. Though panic-buying might be a cause for fast depleting of the commodities, analysts smell rat in their distribution system by whole-sellers.