Correspondent
IMPHAL, AUG 5 (NPN): Manipur chief minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh on Wednesday chaired a high‑level meeting to review the movement of goods along the national highways amid dwindling stocks of essential commodities.
The state is staring at a fresh shortage due to prolonged blockades along its two key supply routes—NH‑37 and NH‑2. For the landlocked state, dependent almost entirely on road transport for food grains, vegetables, construction materials, petroleum products, medicines and other essentials, the disruption has been severe.
Of the two routes, the Imphal–Jiribam section of NH‑37 remains the primary lifeline for shipping goods, including petroleum products. However, prolonged blockades and worsening road conditions on both highways have crippled supply chains, leading to acute shortages and soaring prices.
Freight movement has been further hampered by shutdowns and counter‑blockades organised by civil and community groups. Cargo trucks now take 25 days to a month to reach Imphal, compared to just a few days earlier, with poor road conditions cited as the main factor. The crisis has shifted from rising prices to widespread scarcity, as store shelves and market stocks continue to dwindle. Consumers across the state have been paying elevated prices since the violent crisis erupted in May 2023. In Imphal markets, onions retail at around Rs.70 per kg, potatoes at Rs.40, garlic at Rs.180, Mairongbi (toor dal) at Rs.140, Kangtak at Rs.75, and masoor dal between Rs.90 and Rs.100 per kg.
Against this backdrop, CM Khemchand Singh convened a meeting at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat with senior officials from the Home Department, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution (CAF&PD), Manipur Police, NHIDCL, and representatives of FMCG traders.