Imphal, January 11 2009: EVEN THOUGH truckers in Manipur do not join to the nation-wide truckers strike, the state likely to face in the supply of foodgrains from the Food Corporation of India as authorities of FCI in New Delhi has said the ongoing truckers' strike likely to affect to supply of the items in Manipur and Himachal Pradesh.

The procurement agency said the stocks of wheat and rice available in such godowns, except some in Manipur and Himachal Pradesh, are sufficient to meet requirements for three to four months.

"Out of 1,517 depots run by the FCI, 300 are having their own railway sidings.

About 1,125 depots are rail-fed but some road transportation is involved from the railway siding to the FCI godowns," an official statement said.

However, the remaining depots, mostly in Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand and the north eastern region are road-fed, it added.

Mention may be made that the nationwide strike of truck drivers at the time of economic meltdown has paralysed many businesses in other states of the country importantly.

The inland container depots (ICD) and port godowns in these states are teeming with tonnes of goods, the funds have blocked and several workers have lost the source of their livelihood.

The strikers are claiming that the strike has hit the export and import business in the country badly.

It has resulted in blockade of funds shortage of raw materials and rise in detention charges.

Even though truckers are not joining the strike, the normal transportation of the essential goods items from the last rail-fed station, Dimapur has been greatly disturbing by the blockade on the Imphal-Mao section of the NH-39 imposed by the Naga People Organisation (NPO) demanding transfer of the DC Senapati.

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