Imphal, July 24: Uuidentified armed persons hurled a bomb at the Porompat Ayangpalli Road residence of FCS Minister Yumkham Erabot at around 7.45 pm today.

The bomb landed at the stair case of the house, but it did not explode.

The unexploded bomb was later picked up by bomb experts of the police and detonated safely at a deserted place of Hatta.

Earlier during the day, the Minister while talking to mediapersons at his office chamber had rubbished the charges levelled against him by a UG outfit.

The Minister informed that the FCS Dept has made arrangement for going to Dimapur tomorrow to lift rice so as to ensure adequate supply of rice to the people.

He explained that lifting of PDS items being provided to the people has been the responsibility of the Dept.

However, due to certain difficulties, starting from tomorow lifting of the PDS items would be carried out with the support of the transporters.

Adequate security arrangements have also been made for the purpose, the Minister added.

While clarifying that with exception to the PDS items FCS Dept has no connection with escalating price of essential commodities in the market, the Minister pointed out that apart from rice, sugar and KS-oil, the rest do not fall under the categories of PDS items.

The rest of the essential commodities are being brought from different parts of the country by their respective agents.

However, after the non-local agents fled Manipur following threat from an underground organisation, the quantity of goods brought inside the State has reduced considerably leading to scarcity of goods and price rise in the market, he asserted.

On the distribution of the PDS items, the Minister informed that the rice quota being provided to Imphal West for distribution among the AAY, BPL and APL card holders is respectively 4453 quintal of AAY rice, 7449.75 quintal of BPL rice and 2992.57 quintal of APL rice.

As for Imphal East including Jiribam, the quantity of AAY rice is 4144.40 quintal, 5801.25 quintal of BPL rice and 2681.15 quintal of APL rice.

Over and above this, the FCS Department has take up steps to open fair price shops each Assembky segments from where 100 quintal of rice on rotation basis would be available to the people at a cheaper rate, the Minister disclosed, adding thatmobile sale of rice in Greater Imphal is currently being carried out.

In connection with distribution of SK-oil, the Minister pointed out that though as per the census report of 2000every household card holders are entitled to 4 litres of kerosene oil, problems are being faced in trying to implement the same in view of the growing population.

So steps have also been taken up to review th system in the light of the existing card holders.