The non-BJP ministries in Assam and Nagaland are not happy that the Union government is not "playing its expected role" relating to the Assam-Nagaland border clashes despite the fact that several innocent lives have been claimed. While the Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi ventilated his frustration during a press conference at Guwahati on Wedesday, his Nagaland counterpart T.R. Zeliang is yet to make his stand public.
Meanwhile, several loaded trucks and other vehicles were torched on Wednesday. Most of them were bound for Manipur. As result of the indefinite economic blockade imposed by six organisations at Golaghat, no truck is coming to Manipur. All oil pumps have been closed down though the government is ignoring the ubiquitous roadside vendors selling fuel at exorbitant prices. Most of the consumer items had vanished from the market.
Both Nagaland and Assam feel that just six companies of central forces cannot control the explosive situation. However, the central government feels that the CRPF personnel were sent to contain the crude sense of violence and it is for the two states to find out a lasting solution. Meanwhile, the video footages showing beating up men and women at several places at Golaghat on Wednesday have inflamed the people.
The Manipur government is taking up serious steps to transport fuel and consumer items via highway 37 connecting Imphal with Assam by a 222 km long highway.
Our Manipur Correspondent reports further:
Early on Wednesday morning 50 oil tankers transporting petrol and diesel arrived at Imphal. On the pretext of the indefinite economic blockade preceded by agitations at Golaghat district of Assam all the oil pumps in the state were closed. Fuel brought by these tankers will be sold through the oil pumps in two days' time.
Officials say that this will be a mere drop in the sea.
Meanwhile government officials on Wednesday visited some of the oil pumps in and around Imphal to know why there was this shortage of fuel resulting in the closure of the pumps. It has not been convincingly explained since Manipur always has fuel reserve for nearly one month.
The trouble at Golaghat district of Assam started only on August 13.
Officials of Indian Oil Corporation explained that there was panic buying by the car owners. Besides fuel could not be allotted to the oil pumps since there were two days' holiday. The state government is planning to bring fuel along the alternative highway.
However the roadside vendors are selling petrol at Rs 150 a litre and there is no intervention from police.
