Correspondent
IMPHAL, August 19
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he imposition of road blockade in highways in Assam’s Karbi Anglong and Golaghat districts following the escalation of tension in Ralan area in Nagaland (Wokha district)-Assam (Golaghat district) border after incidents of arson and killing on August 12 and 13, has indirectly started to hit the stock position of the petroleum products in Manipur, forcing the fuel outlets to close down since morning today.Most of the fuel outlets in and around the Imphal town have stopped distributing petrol since morning saying that they are not getting their respective fuel share for the day.Some employees of the fuel outlets in Imphal said the Indian Oil Corporation has failed to distribute their daily quota of fuel.In view of the development, many two wheeler and four wheeler owners used to buy petrol at Rs 80 to 90 a litre in Imphal this afternoon.It may be mentioned that around a thousand Nagaland and Manipur bound goods laden trucks have been stranded along the highways in Assam in view of the economic blockade imposed in Karbi-anglong and Golaghat districts of Assam.Meanwhile All Assam Tea Tribes Students Association(AATTSA) has asserted that it will continue the sixth day old road blockade against Nagaland until security and peace is restored in the disputed Assam-Nagaland (Golaghat-Wokha) inter-state border.It may be noted that the state requires 70 kl of petrol, 200 kl of diesel and 80 kl of cooking gas respectively.
Youth hurt in explosion: One youth was injured in a midnight hand grenade explosion near Imphal in Manipur. The incident took place when unidentified persons suspected to be militants exploded a hand grenade near a temple at Nepali basti at Mantripukhri, around 5 km north of Imphal around 12.40am, reports said. The injured youth has been identified as Poonam Sahu(17),a class X right student who sustained injury at his right shoulder.A Tata 407 truck parked near the temple and some of the nearby houses were also damaged during the explosion.In another development a hand grenade and a 9 mm live round accompanied by a piece of white paper in which it was written Red Army, was found at the gate of Soubham Biradhaja @ Bilaji (60) son of late Ibomcha of Uripok Achom Leikai in Imphal west district around 7 am, reports said. Local sources said Biradhaja is said to be a contractor. The reason behind the incident was not known immediately. A team of Imphal West district Police has seized the grenade and the live round.
