Indignant Erabot lays all blame at CM's door
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, May 16, 2010: Chief Minister Okram Ibobi has failed disappointingly as far as steps to make essential commodities available to people are concerned, charged Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Minister Y Erabot.

Furious over the Home Department's failure to provide mobile security escorts for transportation of goods along NH-53, Erabot said that he would take up the matter with the Union Home Minister and relevant authorities at the Centre.

Speaking to media persons at his residence this morning, at the directive of the AICC, Erabot asserted that NH-53 would require lesser security arrangements than NH-39 for transportation of essential commodities till Imphal.

FACE OFF : FCS Minister Erabot (L) and CM O Ibobi

Even as the State Cabinet took a decision to send trucks along NH-53 with security escorts for ferrying essential commodities including petroleum products on May 10, May 12 and May 14, the same plan was aborted without giving any reason after all arrangements were complete, Erabot fumed.

Maintaining that only 50/60 personnel would suffice to protect the vehicles travelling along Imphal-Jiribam route, Erabot lambasted the Home Department of creating artificial shortage of essential commodities by not sparing any security personnel for escorting trucks.

Transportation of goods in cargo airplanes can never meet the minimum requirements of the people.

It would be impossible to ferry goods like oxygen canisters and petroleum products by cargo planes.

The Government has failed totally in this regard, Erabot remarked.

Talking about the existing stocks of different goods, Erabot said that petrol which is left in the IOC depot cannot last any longer than three days.

The existing stock of diesel and kerosene would last five days and nine days respectively at the most.

Under such conditions, the Government's effort to ferry goods through Guite Road would not be feasible.

In addition to various difficulties which transporters would certainly encounter along this route, transportation charge would be much higher, Erabot pointed out.

Informing that a total of 64,214 security personnel including State forces, Assam Rifles, Army, CRPF and BSF are deployed in.

Mani-pur, Erabot accused the Chief Minister, who is in charge of Home Department, of recruiting almost 70 pc of the State forces from his constituency.

Further spilling out the beans, Erabot asserted that out of 796 personnel recruited for 5th and 6th IRBs, 362 belong to the CM's constituency while the combined Imphal East and Imphal West districts had only 162 candidates recruited.

Ukhrul and Churachandpur were represented by a single recruit each.

The same practice of favouritism was witnessed in the recruitment of lady Constables and Constable Radio Telephone operators.

As against 48 lady Constables and 31 Constable Radio Telephone operators recruited from the CM's constituency, only 60 candidates were recruited from the remaining districts, Erabot alleged.

“The Chief Minister has been misusing security personnel.

By allotting security personnel to relatives, against rules and norms, these security personnel are being misused in snatching contract works from other people", Erabot asserted.

Questioning whether the State can be ruled like a single family, the CAF & PD Minister remarked that the promise to fight insurgency while diverting huge amounts of money to insurgent groups sounded absurd.

This grave situation where all functionaries of democracy have collapsed would be informed to the Union Home Ministry and other relevant authorities in black and" white, Erabot added.