CAF&PD not willing to allot more rice to Tamenglong district
Blockade of '10 continues to exact price
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, October 03 2011: Although Tamenglong district is facing acute scarcity of essential commodities presently, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution (CAF&PD) Department is not willing to allot rice to the district as Tamenglong district administration is yet to clear the dues it incurred for lifting rice during last year's 62 days long blockade.

The 62 days economic blockade of last year was imposed by the United Naga Council and the All Naga Students' Association, Manipur to protest the election to the Autonomous District Councils.

A senior official of CAF&PD informed The Sangai Express that Tamenglong district administration lifted 54 metric tonnes of rice worth Rs 42,28,624 during last year's blockade.

Following persistent insistence of the department, the district administration has paid Rs 25 lakhs.

But for the remaining Rs 17 lakhs the district has not been giving any response to the department's repeated reminder to clear the dues.

As such, the department is reluctant to allot any rice or dal to the district on credit.

A map showing Tamenglong district

Notably, there is neither rice nor dal in the CAF&PD godown of Tamenglong.

Meanwhile, a convoy of trucks and tankers have headed towards Imphal from Jiribam with tight security escorts.

The convoy includes 38 petrol tankers, 65 diesel tankers, 16 LPG bullets, one SK oil tanker, 43 sugar laden trucks, 81 rice laden trucks, six trucks carrying drugs and 705 other trucks carrying assorted goods.

The convoy also includes 11 trucks carrying onion, wheat flour, dal and potato for the department.

These goods being shipped in by the department would be put up for mobile sale once they arrive at Imphal, conveyed the official.

However, it has not been decided yet if there would be mobile sale in other districts in addition to the 10 spots of Imphal East and Imphal West districts where there were mobile sale earlier.

Goods trucks : At least 1112 goods laden vehicles left Jiribam for Imphal today along the National Highway 37 under heavy security cover provided by Police Commandos and personnel of IRB and MR, reports our Jiribam correspondent.

The goods laden vehicles included 316 trucks carrying cement bags, 119 trucks carrying FCI rice, 65 tankers carrying diesel, 43 trucks carrying sugar, 6 trucks carrying medicines, 3 trucks carrying papers, 2 trucks carrying ATF, one Oxygen carrier and one truck carrying fertiliser.