While many highways are turning dry and state like Rajasthan on Tuesday denotified its national highways as urban roads in the wake of the Supreme Court order on liquor sale ban within 500 metres of highways, the highways in the Northeastern state Manipur is set to witness a change of a different kind.
Manipur is gearing up with a new Highway Protection Force. State Chief Minister Biren Singh on April 2 announced that the Centre has granted the demand to raise four India Reserve Battalions for protection to the people and free passage of vehicles on the national highways. The battalions will be deployed on its national highways connecting two states – Nagaland and Assam. The meeting was attended by leaders of the state Transporters' Association.
"To ensure free movement of Manipur vehicles on Imphal-Dimapur road,” Biren said he would sign an agreement with his Nagaland counterpart in the presence of Home Minister Rajnath Singh.
The National Highway 2 runs from Imphal, capital of Manipur, to Dimapur in Nagaland. It was earlier known as NH-39. The Center in 2011 renamed it NH-2.
Plagued with complicated political problems with no solutions in sight and frequent shutdowns and road blockades, people transporting goods and travelling on the state national highways have been bearing the brunt of it all. In view of it, the new state government has stepped up to address the issue.