Koijam presses for institution of highway protection force

IMPHAL, April 1: Manipur Chief Minister Radhabinod Koijam has urged Union Home Minister LK Advani to expedite the proposed institution of a highway protection force along the national highways to protect lives of the people. It is said that the proposal submitted to the Union Government by the State authority had already been approved and the matter is still under process in the Ministry of Home Affairs. According to information received here from the Manipur Information Centre, New Delhi, Koijam called on the Union Home Minister on Thursday and apprised the matter relating to the institution of highway protection force. The State has been suffering a lot as the two national highways, namely NH-39 and NH-53 passing through Nagaland and Assam respectively, are the only means of road communication with the rest of the country. There had been disturbances on the national highways, particularly on the Imphal-Kohima road, created by some anti-national activists. Besides, the State Chief Minister also demanded immediate release of an amount of Rs 2 crore under the Central financial scheme for construction of the required barracks for accommodating the proposed three battalions of Central and State security forces who are being deployed to guard against possible attacks and providing security to the proposed Loktak downstream project at the earliest season. The Chief Minister also added that since the state government is not in a position to meet such a financial burden, the entire cost should be borne by the Union Home Ministry.