The Hindu : National : Truckers refuse to take NH 39

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Friday, Aug 12, 2005

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National

Truckers refuse to take NH 39

Iboyaima Laithangbam

IMPHAL: : Truck drivers refused to ply on NH 39 though the blockade of the two national highways was lifted at noon on Thursday.Police and the Assam Rifles on NH 53 turned back hundreds of trucks saying that the drivers should use NH 39. The drivers are camping in Imphal. A senior police officer told The Hindu that since hundreds of trucks would be coming here from Jiribam, it was decided not to allow vehicles from Imphal on NH 53 because of the poor state of the road and weak bridges.

Extortion demands

PTI reports:

Although the `economic blockade' by a Naga student organisation on national highways in Manipur was suspended from noon, there was no movement of trucks along the Imphal-Guwahati NH 39 in Senapati district, official sources said. ,No official reason was given, but sources close to transporters said trucks, carrying essential commodities to the State, which had faced shortages because of the 50-day blockade, could not run along the vital NH 39 because of extortion demands by militant outfits.

Official sources said 178 trucks loaded with essential items left the border town of Jiribam in the morning en route to Imphal via the Silchar-Imphal NH 53. The All Naga Students Association Manipur, which had called the blockade together with the apex Naga Students Federation in Nagaland, at a meeting in Kohima on Wednesday said it was being `temporarily suspended.'

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