Imphal, Sep 17 (IANS): In a significant step, Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday said that the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) will launch a new initiative on Tuesday to provide various commodities to the people of Manipur at reasonable prices.

Announcing the initiative, which would help both the people living in valley regions and in the mountainous areas, the Home Minister said in a post on X: "In line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's commitment, the MHA is launching an initiative to provide commodities to the people of Manipur at reasonable prices. Now, the Kendriya Police Kalyan Bhandars will be open to ordinary people from September 17, 2024. In addition to 21 existing Bhandars, 16 new ones will be opened. Among the 16 new centres, eight will be in the valley, and the remaining eight in the hills."

Expressing his gratitude, Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh thanked both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah for launching the new initiative on Tuesday.

The Chief Minister in a post on X said: "I thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah for this special initiative aimed to provide further assistance to the people of Manipur."

He said that the opening of the Kendriya Police Kalyan Bhandars at various locations across the state would facilitate the effective implementation of this initiative which would provide commodities to the people of Manipur at reasonable prices.

"The state government will take up necessary steps to ensure that the measure will be implemented and delivered to help fulfill the goals to uplift the people of Manipur," Biren Singh said.

The new initiative to provide commodities to the people of violence-ravaged Manipur would help to a great extent as blockade and agitations along two vital National Highways of Manipur create serious hurdles in transporting various commodities including essentials and food grains from outside the state.

Imphal-Jiribam National Highway (NH-37) and Imphal-Dimapur National High (NH-2) are the two vital surface communications in ferrying essentials, food grains, medicines, numerous commodities, construction materials from outside the state and the region. Often, various organisations put up blockades on the two crucial National Highways to highlight their demands.

Operation of goods train from Guwahati to Manipur's Khongsang Railway Station started in July last year.

The Khongsang Railway Station is part of the 111 km long Jiribam-Imphal line, an important railway project aimed at improving connectivity in Manipur.

Khongsang Railway Station in Tamenglong district is about 106 km from the capital city Imphal by road.