Asem Bhakta Singh, Special Correspondent North East
Imphal: (DIPR) Landlocked Manipur more often than not witnessed steep price hike and mild commodity crisis, a direct impact of highway stir imposed by agitators, mostly belonging to tribal civil bodies.
All is not lost now as the Nongthombam Biren Singh government managed goods train to reach upto Khongsang in Noney district, blunting the agitators’ resolute stance of bargaining their demands with holding highways in their grips.
To date, eight trips of goods trains have come to Khongsang without any hitches.
Any regime, during bandh on the two key supply routes – National Highway -2 connecting Imphal and Dimapur and NH-39 (Imphal-Jiribam route) – running in the state, had to deal with this tricky situation to get commodities shipped in the state. Besides strikes, frequent landslides along the two routes are also a multiplier to cease flow of goods trucks.
During prolonged economic blockade people had to cough up double to even triple times the price of essential commodities like fuel, cooking gas, rice, pulses, vegetables, baby foods, construction materials etc. People making a beeline to fuel stations for hours across the state to procure just a few litres of petrol is also a ritual in the hard days.
There have been instances of assaulting truckers even to the extent of killing and torching the trucks by miscreants along the highways.
Deployment of heavy security forces along the two key arteries in addition to provide maximum escorts to the goods trucks’ motorcades are the common steps taken up by government to bring in essential commodities. In extreme situation commodities are also airlifted to the state.
The situation concerning roadblocks escalated in the state after the unprecedented ethnic crisis unfolded on May 3 last year when Kuki agitators imposed sudden highway shutdown in Kangpokpi district through which NH -2 passes.
Movement of goods vehicles along the Imphal-Jiribam highway even with escorts is also an uphill task owing to the location of Kuki villages along the route.
Nevertheless, the government managed to ferry the goods under adequate security arrangements.
To minify all these qualms, the state government rolled up sleeves to bring in commodities by train after working out strategies with Indian railways.
The efforts bore fruit as a goods train loaded with a few items of essential commodities arrived for the first time in Manipur at the newly constructed Khongsang railway station in Noney district about 70 kms from Imphal in the afternoon of July 24, last year giving smiles to the people.
The 12-boggie train was flagged off from Guwahati railway station by Rituraj Borthakur, Northeast Frontier Railways’s Assistant Commercial manager on the previous day. Each bogie has the capacity of 60 metric tons.
Biren Singh, who received the historic train at the crucial juncture expressed happiness, said it would ease the hardship faced by the people of the state owing to shortage of essential commodities.
He thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw for making the transportation of essential commodities through the Northeast Frontier Railways possible.
The CM also appreciated the people, especially the Zeliangrong Naga community of Noney and neighboring Tamenglong districts for their cooperation and support in bringing railway service to Manipur.
Urging the Zeliangrong people, civil society organizations and Joint Tribe Council to take initiative in developing a railway department, Biren announced of setting up one guest house the railway station.
Seeking support from the people in restoring peace and tranquility in the state, Biren said that normalcy would come only through prayer and support of the people.
The traders’ representatives of the state thanked Biren and expressed hopefulness of reduction in the prices of essential commodities, if the supplies come in bulk.
During his visit to Manipur in last week of May, Union home minister Amit Shah had announced transportation of essential goods items to the state by train up to Khongshang station.
The state government’s round the clock hard work in co-ordination with Indian Railways supported by traders under the direct supervision of the energetic Manipur chief secretary Dr Vineet Joshi resulted in operationalizing the Jiribam-Khongsang line for goods train.
To expound the process in a chronological manner, the state government had on May 21, last year constituted a committee to examine the “feasibility of transporting essential goods by train upto Khongsang Railway station,” with Manipur transport secretary Michael Achom as chairman.
The government also tasked the committee to “examine how the goods brought by train can be stored and transported to goods trucks for bringing it to Imphal.”
On June 1, the chief secretary chaired a meeting with general manager, NF Railways, Divisional Railways Manager, Lumding Division, Chief Engineer, PWD Manipur and other officials, to review preparedness for transportation of goods by train up to Khongsang Railway station.
During another review meeting convened on June 23 with Vineet Joshi in the chair, PWD chief engineer informed that the Khongsng approach road had been made motorable for carrying vehicles with widening the curve for easy negotiating, and as agreed in the meeting, traders visited the spot on June 25.
The chief secretary had on July 1, wrote to Anil Kumar Lahoti, chairman, railway board, requesting him to issue appropriate instructions to his field formalities for rendering necessary assistance expeditiously for enabling delivery of goods up to Khongsang by goods train.
On July 7, Michael Achom wrote to Tushar Kant Pandey, DRM Nagpur, Central Railways, Nagpur Division, requesting to accord priority in allotting parcel van book for “transportation of perishable goods” up to Khongsang, station through Express trains considering the “prevailing situation in Menipur.
The letter refereed to the announcement made by Union home minister Amit Shah on June 1 on transportation of goods by train up to Khongsang station.
A letter was also written on the next day to SS Kedia, DRM, Bhusawal, Central Railways, Bhusawal Division by the state transport secretary, putting similar subject matter.
As a result of the state government’s never-say-die tasks, the sounds of engine chugging, wheels clacking on the iron tracks produced by the goods train were heard at Khongsang railway station under the soft sun on July 24.
