Govt to start transporting essential commodities on NH-53
Problems will be solved in a week: Y Erabot
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, May 09 2010: All problems relating to food and fuel will be sorted out within one week, declared the Consumers Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Minister, Y Erabot today.

Talking to reporters today at his residence, Minister Erabot said that the government has taken up steps to procure essential items from outside the state on NH-53 to replenish the depleting stocks.

The stock will be replenished within a week's time.

He admitted that the state is facing problem of scarcity of petrol, diesel and cooking gas due to the protracted imposition of economic blockade on the national highways by ANSAM.

The photographs above explain the condition of the NH-39 as of Saturday, May 8.The state government is likely to take actions to clear the obstructions soon

The blockade has coincided with the tension that arose at Mao due to the proposed visit of general secretary of NSCN(IM), Th Muivah to Manipur which has now been deferred.

He said, at present, 567 kilolitres of petrol, 1611 kilolitres of diesel, 218 ATF, 856 kilolitres of kerosene are in the government oil depots.

These stocks have been left after distribution to the oil pumps on rationing system and have been kept reserved for emergency purpose for security forces and government.

Authorities of the Food Corporation of India (FCI) has given clearance for collection of the state quotas of rice, sugar and other items from its godowns in Silchar, Assam and government is trying to replenish the stock within a week time.

A total of 100 trucks engaged by his department will be sent to procure the essentials items with security escort.

Government has made arrangement as Food Corporation of India has informed of stocking the items at its godown at Silchar and Jiribam, minister Irabot said.

"Government will solve the problems within a week time", said the minister adding that all the goods items will be collected from FCI godowns at Jiribam of Manipur and Silchar of Assam on the NH-53 (Imphal-Jiribam section).

Apart from sky rocketing the essential commodities, sharp depletion of stocks of all items is experiencing in the state owing to the prolong economic blockade on the NH-53 and NH-39 imposed by the ANSAM and other Naga based civil organisations from April 11 opposing government holding elections to the district councils in hill districts which coincided with total blockade on NH-39 owing to high tension arising at border gate with Nagaland.

Big hospital while announcing their oxygen and medicines stock positions in their respective hospitals announced that routine operations will be suspended while petrol pumps have been remaining closed for the last few days.

Currently, prices of all essential commodities have been hiked more than double the actual prices.

Apart from closing down the petrol retail outlets, the prices of petrol and diesel have been hiked triple time the government control rate at the black market.

Currently petrol is sold at Rs 140 per litre in the black market against the actual price Rs 48.70 and even in the hiked price consumers are facing hard to find the item in the black markets not like before.

The prices of diesel also raised upto Rs 70 to 80 per litre.

Owing to the hiking and non-availability of diesel, passenger services buses have threatened to suspend their operations from Monday.

The prices of the essential commodities like rice and other also sky rocketed.

A 50 Kg bag rice of middle quality which was sold at Rs 700 to Rs 800 at normal time has been hiked double and cost upto Rs 1500 in the market in Imphal.

The situations in other district mostly in hill districts worsen more than that in Imphal.

In Tamenglong apart from hiking the price of rice, people could not get the item from the markets, a resident of Tamenglong district headquarters informed when contacted by this correspondent.

The same situation was facing in Chandel, Ukhrul, Thoubal and Bishnupur district even though the situation in Churachandpur district where essential commodities are procured from Mizoram through the NH-150 .