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Blockades on two vital national highways in land-locked Manipur in the last few days have made people begin to feel the pinch with prices of essential commodities going up and petrol pumps closing down.
Petrol pumps have closed since yesterday with supplies running out, while all essentials commodities and those needed for daily use have stopped coming to Manipur in the past few days, official sources said.
The blockade has resulted in petrol being sold at Rs 110 per litre in the black market.
Market reports said prices of several essential items have been inching up while there is scarcity of cement and vehicle parts.
The blockades on the Imphal-Dimapur-Guwahati and Imphal-Jiribam-Silchar national highways, the life lines of the state have been called by the All Manipur Petrol Tankers Drivers Union and the Zeliangrong Students Union since April 21.
The drivers union has stopped bringing petrol to the state since April 21.
The union is demanding release of driver Surajit Singh, who was kidnapped by suspected militants from Kohima while coming to Imphal.
The sources said talks were on with representatives of the drivers union for an amicable solution.
The blockade called by the student union has led to the cancellation of bus and transport services between Manipur and other states, the sources said.
The student union is demanding release of a girl student, Alice Kamei, who is reportedly in the custody of insurgent outfit Revolutionary People's Front which has claimed that she joined voluntarily.