Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State for Defence and Youth and Sports, who had gone to Tamenglong district in Manipur to oversee the road and bridges repair works was himself stranded at Noney on Sunday. The helicopter could not take off for over five hours due to inclement weather.
However, the pilot managed to land at Tulihal airport in Imphal at 5 pm and the Minister left for Banglaore in ten minutes after cancelling all official programmes at Raj Bhavan, Chief Minister's office and Congress office. Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi, Deputy Chief Minister Gaikhangam Gangmei and others welcomed the Minister on arrival at ariport at 9 am on Sunday.
The Minister was deputed to visit and oversee the construction, repairing works and clearing of debris along highway 37 that connects Assam with Manipur. Recently this lifeline highway was cut off for five days as a result of multiple landslips.
On July 13 night, an 80 metre long landslip had breached highway 2 near Kohima in Nagaland. Hundreds of trucks, buses and private vehicles are stranded since then causing shortage of fuel and consumer items in Manipur.
