IMPHAL, Aug 23 � The three week-old economic blockade and indefinite highway bandh in Manipur over the demand and counter-demand for a separate district has led to scarcity of life-saving drugs and petroleum products besides impacting the prices of foodgrains.
The life-saving drugs particularly IV fluids are running out of stock in the wholesale market since the last five days.
RK Ratankumar, Secretary of Manipur Chemists and Druggists Association said that the representatives of the Association will be approaching the State Chief Minister to do something in the interest of the general public. The Association has been urging the government to airlift the required drugs, he added.
Both the government run JNIMS and RIMS Hospitals here are also facing scarcity of oxygen due to the economic blockade on the State�s lifelines � National Highways 39 and 53 by Sadar Hills District Demand Committee since July 31 demanding upgradation of Sadar Hills area under Senapati district into a full-fledged district followed by another indefinite bandh on these lifelines besides NH 150 by United Naga Council since Sunday.
Even the judiciary has not been functioning properly with lawyers unable to attend court due to the fuel crisis since the last six days. High Court Bar Association in its executive committee meeting on Tuesday further resolved not to �attend the court till Friday unless the matter for availability of petrol is solved�. Most oil outlets have gone dry though few of them were rationing fuel till Monday.
School van drivers said that they don�t have time to stand in queue for a whole day to get just 6 litres of petrol. Th Dina, a school van driver in Imphal said the government has to ensure fuel supply otherwise the school van services will be stopped soon. Black marketeers have started selling petrol at Rs 100 -120 per litre while LPG gas is sold at Rs 1500 per cylinder.
The State which has an annual shortfall of about one lakh tonnes of rice on an average need to import the requirement besides pulses. Even potatoes and onions are being sold at Rs 40 per kg since the last one week. �We are getting irregular supply of national newspapers in the State unlike the past due to unavailability of aviation fuel at Imphal airport and subsequent overloading of the Imphal bound flights�, a staff of a newspaper dealer said.
