Prices of essentials sore due to economic blockade in Manipur

Prices of essential items have gone up due to indefinite economic blockade on two national highways in Manipur which entered the second day today.

Potatoes and onions which were being sold at Rs 35 per kg are now being sold at Rs 40 while prices of other essentials have also soared, police said.

Various social organisations including All Manipur Students Union have asked traders not to rise the prices of essential items because of the economic blockade called by hill-based United Naga Council (UNC) to protest killing of two persons in alleged police firing at Ukhrul district on August 30.

Hundreds of vehicles including passenger buses and trucks loaded with essential items were stranded in Mao in Nagaland, Mao Nagaland-Manipur border and Jiri area in Manipur on the Manipur-Assam border while no vehicles plied on the two national highways, Imphal-Jiribam-Silchar (NH 37) and Imphal-Mao-Dimapur-Guwahati (NH 2) today.

Despite government's assurance of providing security to the vehicles, no security was provided to transporters who decided not to ply vehicles along national and state highways, official reports from the districts said.

All ticket booking counters in Imphal for passengers to travel to other parts of the country were closed for the second day today.

UNC has called the blockade in all Naga-majority hill districts of Ukhrul, Senapati, Tamenglong, and Chandel where villagers alleged there was severe shortage of essential items.

Long queue was seen in front of selected petrol stations where the government had decided to supply petrol to the public.