Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, October 26:
Following a tax imposed by a particular underground outfit on DI pipes which have been brought for the hill dists of Manipur from West Bengal the consignments are presently stranded at Dimapur as the outfit has prevented it from allowing the goods to be transported until their demands are met, disclosed a highly placed source from the PHED.
The DI pipes were brought with cent percent funding from the Non-Lapsable Central Pool of Resources (NLCPR).
Sources further said that the outfit is demanding 5% of the total cost of the pipes lying in Dimapur.
The cost of the pipes is estimated to be about Rs 10 crores, said the source.
Sources further informed that authorities of North East Railway Frontier has also intimated the State Govt to pay a sum of Rs 8 lakhs as demurrage charges for the DI pipes which have been lying at the Dimapur Railway station for quite a while and added that the pipes have been shifted to the compound of the Transporters agent twenty days back as the agents found it difficult to pay the daily demurrage charges.
It may be noted here that the State Govt had taken up the Augmentation of Water Supply Scheme in the five hill dists to provide safe drinking water to the people.
Even though only one water supply scheme each have been taken up in each of the hill dists, the number of water supply scheme undertaken in Churachandpur dist alone is eight, said the source adding that DI pipes worth Rs 10 crores have been brought from West Bengal for the scheme.
The DI pipes are of different diameters ranging from 500 mm to 200 mm.