Imphal, April 8: After ?clearing? rebel camps from south Manipur, the army has now taken on the task of providing security along National Highways 150 and 53, which are being developed as alternative supply routes for the state.

A highly-placed source in the army said the Centre had sanctioned Rs 28 crore for development of NH 150, which links Imphal with Aizawl via Tipaimukh in Manipur?s Churachandpur district.

The road improvement task has been entrusted to the Border Roads Organisation (BRO). Improvement work along NH 53 linking Imphal and Silchar is in full swing.

Chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh?s government decided to reopen the two national highways after a 52-day-long economic blockade, imposed by the All Naga Students? Association of Manipur last year on Imphal-Kohima highway and Imphal-Silchar highway, put the state on the verge of starvation.

Both the Ibobi Singh government and the army felt that if the two national highways could be made serviceable, the problem faced by the state due to frequent blockades on Imphal-Kohima highway ? the main supply line ? could be reduced considerably.

?The army is ready to provide full security along the two national highways during the improvement work as well as after both the roads are made serviceable. The army is ready to assist the civil administration in this regard,? an army official said. NH 150 passes through Tipaimukh subdivision, where mass rapes were allegedly committed by militants apart from excesses on Hmar villages. The army moved into the area in January and has plans to permanently station a unit there.

Ibobi Singh visited Parbung in Tipaimukh subdivision and Thanlon subdivision on March 3 and assured the villagers that the army?s presence in Tipaimukh subdivision would continue. The assurance was given in response to demands made by Hmar villagers in this regard.

The source said the army was continuing with the task of neutralising improvised explosive devices (IEDs) allegedly planted by militants in the interiors of Churachandpur district, adding that nearly 100 IEDs have been neutralised since January.

UNLF offer

The United National Liberation Front (UNLF) today said it was ready to produce the cadre deployed in the Tipai-mukh area before a Red Cross team for verification of char-ges of mass rape in that area.

Reacting to the recent rally organised by some tribal NGOs in New Delhi against the alleged rape of 21 Hmar women by militants of the UNLF and the Kangleipak Communist Party in Tipai-mukh, the UNLF alleged in a statement that the NGOs were trying to politicise the issue and create communal tension.

?If at all the concerned NGOs are interested in finding out the truth, which is imperative despite the sensitive nature of the matter, the International Committee of Red Cross may be approached to help in the matter,? the statement issued by Ksh. Yoiheiba, senior publicity officer of the outfit, said.