Commercial traffic on NH-2 scarce from Dimapur to Imphal, Manipura HC directs Ministries to be present for hearing if ‘better affidavit’ not submitted- NSP NEWS

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Even as the Manipur High Court has rapped the Union government for not clarifying the steps taken by it to clear the blockade on National Highway-2, government officials have said that the barricades on the highway had been removed this week and while traffic on the road is moving outside Imphal, there is no commercial traffic on the other side from Dimapur to Imphal.

The 60-day blockade on NH-2 was removed on Monday by Kuki Suspension of Operations (SoO) groups, after they were assured by the Union government that their political demands can only be addressed by the Centre. However, the next day, the house of the spokesperson of the Kuki National Organisation (one of the SoO groups) was burnt down by unknown miscreants.

The decision to lift the blockade had come after a Division Bench of the Manipur High Court had already started hearing a Public Interest Litigation petition seeking its removal. The Bench of Justices Ahanthem Bimol Singh and A. Guneshwar Sharma on June 27 pulled up the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and the Road Transport Ministry for not joining the proceedings and filing an affidavit despite its earlier directions.

Two days after the Kuki groups agreed to lift the blockade, the matter came up before the High Court once again. This Bench, led by Acting Chief Justice M.V. Muralidharan, on July 5 noted that the Union Ministries had submitted their affidavits as directed in the last hearing. But it also said, “On reading of the affidavits, it is clear that the order of this court has not been complied with.”

Thus, the court directed both the MHA and the Road Transport Ministry “to file a better affidavit stating all the steps taken by them for opening the blockade imposed on NH-2 and the difficulties faced by them without fail’.

The court went on to say that if “no better affidavit is filed before the next date” on July 28, then representatives of both the MHA and the Road Transport Ministry are directed to appear before it in person.

Meanwhile, government officials told The Hindu that as of Friday, while no physical barricades remain along NH-2, traffic of goods vehicles from Dimapur to Imphal is almost nil as many are choosing not to use the route. However, traffic from Imphal to the hill districts on NH-2 is flowing, with good vehicles also being allowed to use the road without obstructions.