IMPHAL, Aug 25 � The economic blockade and counter bandh issues arising out of the demand of upgradation of the Sadar Hills area in Manipur�s Senapati district into a full-fledged revenue district rocked the second day of the ongoing Assembly session today.
Though the day�s nearly three-hour-long discussion on the demand for creation of the Sadar Hills district couldn�t come to any concrete conclusion, the House of 60 MLAs is likely to adopt a resolution during Friday�s session.
Manipur Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh, responding to Opposition leader Radhabinod Koijam initiated discussion during the day�s session,said that a district reorganisation committee has been constituted in order to bring a consensus decision for Sadar Hills distrct creation.
The State chief secretary- headed committee will take opinion of members of all communities to bring about an amicable solution to the problem, he said and appealed to the agitators to withdraw the bandh and blockade in public interest.
Questioning the setting up of the reorganization committee only after Sadar Hills issue rocked the State, the Sadar Hills Districthood Demand Committee(SHDDC) on Wednesday had already rejected State Cabinet�s decision to constitute a �committee on reorganization of administration and police district boundary�.
Opposition leader Koijam and his colleague O Joy while sharing their views urged the government to shorten the committee�s deadline and submit the report within 2 to 3 months.
A total of nine legislators, both from ruling and Opposition took part in the day�s discussion wherein most of the MLAs supported the demand to create a separate district on its administrative convenience while MLA Ng Bijoy of Manipur People�s Party suggested the name of the proposed district as Kangpokpi in place of Sadar Hills.
The SHDDC had been imposing economic blockade on the two highways of the State, demanding a separate Sadar Hills district since July 31 midnight while United Naga Council imposed an indefnite bandh on the highways since August 21 to protest the alleged move to bifurcate �Naga areas� in creating the district.
The economic blockade was designed to block all kinds of goods vehicles on the two National Highways 39 and 53 impacting the prices of essential commodities besides scarcity of life saving drugs, petroleum products.
