Over a hundred goods-laden trucks and other vehicles entered the state from Assam till Sunday evening. There are no obstacles and problems faced by the drivers and their assistants in plying their vehicles, officials said.
TFM Desk
Two-week long unofficial economic blockade cutting transportation of goods from Assam to Mizoram finally ended and movement of goods vehicles lying stranded on National Highway 306 since July 26 resumed on Sunday.
Officials in Mizoram’s Kolasib, which borders Assam’s Cachar, reportedly said that till Sunday evening, over a hundred goods-laden trucks and other vehicles entered the state from Assam.
There are no obstacles and problems faced by the drivers and their assistants in plying their vehicles, Kolasib police chief Vanlalfaka Ralte told the media.
Mizoram Police remains on alert to facilitate the smooth movement of all types of goods and passenger vehicles all along to Aizawl, he added.
According to IANS report, officials said that on the instructions of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, state Urban Development Minister Ashok Singhal and Environment and Forest Minister Parimal Suklabaidya, accompanied by Cachar’s Deputy Commissioner and Superintendent of Police, held talks with all stakeholders at Lailapur, the entry point to Mizoram, since late Saturday.
“With the two ministers’ persuasion, movement of vehicles began since Saturday night. Most stranded vehicles went to Mizoram on Sunday. There are no problems on the Assam side. We would provide all help and security to the drivers and others, if necessary,” Cachar Superintendent of Police Ramandeep Kaur told IANS over phone.
Due to the “economic blockade” on NH-306, the life line of Mizoram, supply of essential commodities, transport fuels and medicines was acutely hit since the July 26 bloodiest border clash that left six Assam Police personnel dead and 100 others including civilians of the two states injured.
However, several local organisations, civil society groups, and traders’ bodies including the Barak Democratic Front, Youth Against Social Evils and Barak Upatyaka Banga Sahitya Sammelan, protesting against the “forceful withdrawal of economic blockade against Mizoram”, separately told the media that the Assam government had “surrendered” to the Mizoram government despite six state policemen being killed.
Mizoram Health Minister R. Lalthangliana said in Aizawl that besides the essential commodities and transport fuels, Mizoram has been facing a severe crisis of vital medicines during the past two weeks due to the “economic blockade”.
“Covid patients are dying for want of medicines. Seriously ill patients are in dire need of life-saving drugs…” he said in a video message.