Photo Courtesy: nenow
Imphal: Team Meitei Personalities Manipur and the Meitei Alliance Trust took their fight to the Supreme Court. They filed a public interest litigation under Article 32 of the Constitution to stop recurring blockades on Manipur's national highways. The groups demand an end to the chaos. The petition names the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, the Manipur government, and the National Highways Authority of India as respondents.
These groups want safe, unrestricted movement for passengers and essential supplies. They asked the court to force central and state security agencies to create a time-bound plan for road protection. This plan must identify weak spots and deploy rapid-response teams. The petitioners explicitly stated the goal is "ensuring that access to highways is not restricted on the basis of ethnicity, community, residence, place of origin or destination."
The plea targets unauthorized checkpoints and collection booths operating on the roads. It demands strict enforcement of the Control of National Highways (Land and Traffic) Act, 2002. Beyond just policing, the groups want a 24-hour reporting channel managed by nodal officers. This system would track complaints about extortion and blockades while keeping whistleblowers safe.
Accountability remains at the center of the push. The petition asks for a court-appointed commission to watch over the state and suggests a special court for highway-related crimes. The government must also track all disruptions and provide updates on alternative road projects. Reliable highway access is a life-or-death issue for food and medicine.
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