Police take to the streets after protesters burn tyres in Imphal on Tuesday. Picture by Eastern Projections

Imphal, Nov. 25: The Senapati District Students Association today lifted the blockade along Imphal-Kohima highway but normal supply was disrupted by a one-day bandh called by the Joint Action Committee (JAC) formed in connection with the bomb blast near Ragailong on October 21.

The Senapati District Students Association imposed the blockade in protest against the Okram Ibobi Singh government’s failure to maintain the Imphal-Mao sector of Manipur’s main supply line.

Though the blockade was imposed on November 1, the association suspended it for six days, from November 14 to 19, after works minister K. Ranjit Singh’s assurance of starting repairs immediately.

The association resumed the blockade from November 20 saying the government had failed to keep its commitment.

The works minister, assisted by MLAs elected from the district, brokered peace with the association during a meeting at the district headquarters of Senapati last evening.

Singh promised the association that the government would hand over the maintenance work to the Border Roads Task Force or a private company by December.

The transporters supported the blockade. After the blockade was lifted, the trucks stranded at Mao and Dimapur reached Imphal last night. Some trucks also arrived today.

However, normal services were disrupted by the Manipur bandh called by the joint action committee in protest against the state government’s failure to compensate the families of the victims and injured persons in the Ragailong blast.

Eighteen persons were killed and 40 others were wounded in the improvised explosive device blast triggered by militants of the Kangleipak Communist Party (Military Council).

The state government had promised ex gratia of Rs 1 lakh each to the families of the dead and financial assistance to all the injured persons. The Centre had also promised Rs 1 lakh ex gratia each and a sum of Rs 50,000 for the injured persons.

Secretary of the action committee, N. Bhumneshwor Singh, said none of the amounts promised by the Centre and the state had been received by the victims’ families till now.

The bandh did not have much impact, barring in the areas surrounding the blast site. Protesters blocked roads at various places by burning tyres. Police removed the burnt tyres, but the blockade continued.

Shops and business establishments remained open in Imphal and private vehicles plied as usual. But most buses and commercial vehicles suspended service. Inter-state transport services were also affected.