The bandhs and blockades, besides causing disruption of movement of passenger vehicles to and from Guwahati, have also hit the supply of vegetables and other essentials bound for Barak Valley from Meghalaya and lower Assam areas.
People of the region are now worried about the three-night blockade called by some Meghalaya-based pro-ILP NGOs on the NH-6. The blockade will be in effect from 7pm to 5am on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. No passenger vehicle or truck will be allowed to travel through NH-6 in Meghalaya during the bandh, sources said.
"The prices of vegetables and other food items is skyrocketing in Barak Valley because of irregular supply from outside the region. The frequent bandhs and road blockades in Meghalaya are the reason for the state of affairs," said a spokesman of the Silchar Foodgrain Merchants Association.
Assam minister for public health engineering Gautom Roy recently talked to Meghalaya chief minister Mukul Sangma and requested him to ensure that movement of traffic on the NH-6 is not disrupted during the course of such agitations. "The Meghalaya chief minister assured me that proper security would be provided to passenger vehicles and trucks during such bandhs and blockades," said Roy.
"Such agitations that affect the life of the people of neighbouring states are not acceptable. I will take up the issue up with central leaders of my party," said Assam BJP chief Sarbananda Sonowal, during his ongoing visit to Barak Valley.
The Barak Valley-based Haj Yatri Suraksha Samiti also expressed its concern about the security of Haj pilgrims from the area who have started coming home from LGBI Airport in Guwahati due to the night blockades in Meghalaya.
The Meghalaya government recently made it clear that it would not implement the IPL in the state. However, measures like the Tenancy Act will be introduced to deal with illegal migration to Meghalaya.