The crippling economic blockade on two national highways in Manipur entered the 86th day on Tuesday with the organisers adamant on not lifting it even as prices of essential commodities continued to soar.

The Sadar Hills District Demand Committee (SHDDC) had started its indefinite economic blockades on the National Highway 39 (Imphal-Dimapur-Guwahati) and National Highway 53 (Imphal-Jiribam-Silchar) on August one.

The SHDDC has demanded conversion of the Sadar Hills area in Senapati district into a full fledged district.

Opposing this, the United Naga Council (UNC) began its economic blockades on the two highways on August 21.

Both the SHDDC and the UNC have turned a deaf ear to appeals by civil society organisations to call off the blockades and take up a democratic form of agaitation.

A spokesman of the SHDDC said the blockade would not be withdrawn till its demand was met by the state government.

On the other hand, the UNC said that it would not allow Sadar Hills to be made a district unless its contention was heard by the government.

Official sources said the state government has formed a district re-organisation committee to look into boundaries of all districts.

Manipur sports minister N Biren, who is a government spokesman, said prices of potato and onion have come down.

However, LPG cylinders priced at Rs 400 were being sold at Rs 1650, petrol at Rs 100 and diesel at around Rs 80 in the black market, reports said.

It said the government was trying its best to bring in these items from outside the state with security escort.