Reported by Bit Irom
Imphal: A severe coordination breakdown between the Manipur police and central security agencies has left hundreds of loaded trucks and fuel tankers stranded along National Highway-37, even as authorities confirmed the movement of 515 vehicles carrying essential goods.
The crisis stems from a disagreement over security escorts.
The Director General of Police (DGP) of Manipur, on June 18, sent an urgent communication to the CRPF Inspector General (Manipur and Nagaland).
The DGP requested three security convoys to escort loaded trucks from Jiribam and Assam to Imphal, along with three additional convoys to escort empty trucks on the return journey.
However, citing crew fatigue and highway conditions, the CRPF reduced the escort capacity. It deployed one convoy for empty trucks heading to Jiribam and two convoys for loaded trucks travelling to Imphal.
As a result, only 300 stranded trucks carrying petroleum products and essential commodities began moving towards Imphal, while 201 empty trucks departed for Jiribam.
The Manipur Truck Owners’ Welfare Association (MTOWA) had arranged 48 vehicles to transport CRPF personnel. However, due to the scaling down of operations by the CRPF, only 16 escort vehicles were deployed.
Maimom Anil, General Secretary of the All Manipur Road Transport Drivers’ and Motor Workers’ Union (AMRTD&MWU), said transporters are being forced to use NH-37 because of blockades on NH-2.
With around 800 trucks, many of them stranded for four days, and security escorts prioritising petroleum tankers, Anil warned that the concerns of drivers are being overlooked.
He urged the government to deploy personnel from the 10th and 11th IRB battalions to strengthen security along the highway.