FCI regional office Dimapur 'determined to cut off supply route' along NH-37
Railways told not to transport PDS items to Jiribam
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, May 31 2012:
Acting on a letter written by FCI regional office, Dimapur to stop transportation of PDS items like rice, sugar and wheat till Jiribam by train, the railways authority has suspended transportation of all PDS items to Jiribam.
Cancelling its earlier permission of transporting PDS goods on Imphal-Jiribam highway and Imphal-Dimapur highway at equal quantities, FCI regional office, Dimapur instructed transporters to transport only 20 per cent of goods on Imphal-Jiribam highway and 80 per cent on Imphal-Dimapur highway.
In the meantime, FCI regional office, Dimapur wrote a letter to the railways not to bring any goods till Jiribam godown by train.
According to information received by The Sangai Express, FCI regional office, Dimapur wrote the particular letter in cahoots with some Dimapur-based traders and some other elements so that 'taxes' can be levied on trucks carrying PDS items along Imphal-Dimapur highway.
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At the same time, the letter was aimed at keeping away all kinds of trucks from Imphal-Jiribam highway which has improved considerably and is seen as a much safer route than Imphal-Dimapur highway by transporters.
Subsequent upon the letter, railways authority has stopped transportation of goods by train till Jiribam godown since around 12 days back.
After 36 truck loads of sugar were brought to Jiribam godown in March this year, railways did not ship in any quantity of sugar during the months of April and May.
As such, there is no sugar left at Jiribam godown.
Observing that there is no possibility of hijacking or siphoning goods along Imphal-Jiribam highway, many people have started questioning if FCI regional office Dimapur was deliberately scheming to stop transportation of goods along Imphal-Jiribam highway with an intention to favour certain elements so that they commit all kinds of unethical trade practices and levy 'taxes' .
Meanwhile, transporters have urged the authorities concerned to finish the 2500 MT capacity FCI godown which is currently under construction at Jiribam and also to open FCI regional office at Imphal.
Even as more than 200 trucks have reached Jiribam to bring rice to Imphal, only nine trucks have been loaded while the remaining trucks have been denied permission to load rice.