TMC flays Centre, Manipur govt over economic blockade

The Trinamool Congress today flayed the Manipur government and Centre for impasse over the three-month long economic blockade by United Naga Council (UNC) along the life line of the landlocked North Eastern state.
TMC Observer Samrat Topadar and other key functionaries of the party said though the elections were supposed to be a festival of democracy, prevailing law and order situation, particularly in the hill areas "have made it a mockery of democracy".
Manipur TMC President Tongbram Robindro said the party will be fielding at least 35 candidates for the upcoming two-phase polls scheduled in early March.
Party Observer Samrat, who arrived at Imphal today to oversee the election campaigns maintained "UNC is killing democracy" and "the state government is supporting it."

Quoting a senior official of Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL), whom Samrat said he had met earlier in the afternoon, the TMC leader said, "IOCL has sufficient fuel for the state but is unable to deliver the same."
This was because the state government has failed to provide enough security to the drivers who have to bring petroleum products by passing through national highways dominated by Nagas, who have been protesting the recent creation of seven districts, the TMC leader said.

He also said the rise petrol prices to Rs 140 per litre in the black market is "unheard of in the entire country".

About TMC's prospect, he said the party will have a key role to play in the Manipur polls and claimed that under the leadership of Mamata Banerjee, West Bengal has managed to make several strides in the field of medical care among others.
Robindro, who is contesting from the Thanga Assembly
constituency, said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his last parliamentary election visit to the state had promised the people of Manipur that Imphal-Jiri highway will be converted into a four-lane within 100 days of coming to power.
"But unfortunately that has not materialised," he rued.
Of the frequent violation of ground rules, including the January 30 killing of two labourers, by a certain militant group which is observing Suspension of Operations (SoO) with both the Centre and the state governments, Robindro opined it "was the weakness on the part of the state government".

General secretary Th Bishwanath told