AS the Agartala-Dhaka bus is all set to make its maiden journey, Manipur Assembly unanimously resolved to press for an Indo-Myanmar bus service up to Mandalay.

The State Assembly held a detailed discussion on this issue after leader of Manipur People’s Party (MPP) Dr Nimaichand Luwang moved a private member resolution. The distance between Imphal and Mandalay is approximately 450 km. Strongly advocating for a bus service between India and Myanmar Dr Nimaichand Luwang argued that in the wake of the Indo-Myanmar border trade, the volume of the trade would be enhanced automatically once the bus service is introduced. He further stated that over 6000 Manipuris are presently residing at Mandalay, an important city of neighbouring Myanmar.  The opposition leader further revealed “As all of them have two names including their native name, most of them also speak ‘Meiteilon’ in the family as well as in the locality. However, they speak Myanmarese in their offices and business centres,” Nimaichand added. 

It may be mentioned here that Indo-Myanmar border trade was opened at Moreh, the border town of Manipur in the first week of April 1995. In reponse to the demand, Manipur Chief Minister Ibobi Singh informed that the matter of bringing the trans-Asia superhighway into the territory of Manipur had been a long-standing demand of the State. “For this we have been urging the central leaders to extend the proposed superhighway from Saurashtra (Porbandar) to Silchar upto Imphal and Moreh”, the Chief Minister said. In another development, Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh said intensive patrolling and frisking were on to prevent extortion and unlawful collection of taxes by the underground outfits along the Imphal-Moreh stretch of the NH 39. To the Opposition’s query in the State Assembly, Mr Singh said the State Police, the Manipur Rifles and Indian Reserve Battalion and the para-military forces were carrying out intensive patrolling, frisking and checking to curb such crimes on the said stretch of NH 39. The Chief Minister informed the House that special emphasis was being given in the area between Pallel and Moreh, from where complaints were received maximum, along the highway by allocating specific areas of responsibility to the security personnel. All vehicles plying on the route were to concentrate at Pallel and Moreh gates at 8 a.m. after which they would move together in a group, he said, adding any vehicle reaching after the stipulated time would not be allowed to cross the gates. Checking of vehicles by the police at Pallel and Moreh was to be done before 8 a.m. daily and checking by all agencies such as the customs and the forest was to be done only at the police check posts, Mr Singh said. There would be no checking of vehicles en route by any agency or security force until there were some specific information which necessitated stopping of vehicles for checking. The Chief Minister further stated that the area was divided into two sectors for effective patrolling. Sector one would include the stretch from Molnoi to Lokchao while the sector two would stretch from Moreh to Lokchao. Frequent complaints along the stretch on the national highway had led to increase security arrangements at the area, he added.

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