Imphal, February 11: To intensify the ongoing stir against the arrest and subsequent detention of eight FCI officials under NSA on charges of siphoning off rice meant for Mid-Fay Meal scheme to an underground organisation, Bharatiya Khadya Nigam Karmachari Sangh (BKNKS), North East Zone has threatened to cease movement of food grains in the entire NE region with effect from Monday, if the arrested officials are not released immediately.

A letter to this effect has been submitted to the Chief Minister today, said Bedanta Sharma, zonal secretary of BKNKS, who arrived here this morning following the developments in the Corporation.

When The Sangai Express contacted Bedanta Sharma, he said, �We will wait and watch the response of the State Government for some time and if the response is not favourable, them we will be compelled to take a decision for winding up the Imphal office of the Corporation�.

He asserted that the State Government has wrongly implicated the eight officials in the crime.

The authorities of the Corporation are taking a serious note of the matter, he added.

Meanwhile, police failed to produce the eight arrested officials before the Court of the Chief Judicial magistrate, Imphal today, fixed earlier.

On February 7, the same Court remanded the eight to police custody till 1 pm this afternoon.

Since the police failed to produce them till 4.05 pm today, the Court has directed the Investigating Officer of the case to produce them on February 14 at 11 am positively.

The CJM also asked the IO to furnish an explanation as to why a proceeding for non-compliance of the Court order should not be taken up.

The explanation is to be submitted on February 14.The eight employees were arrested by Lamphel police on February 5 on alleged charge of deducting 10 percent of the rice quota meant for Mid-Day Meal Scheme for the militants.

Later the District authority detained them under the National Security Act (NSA).

Peeved with the arrest and subsequent detention under NSA, their colleagues under the banner of JAC of FCI Imphal Staff Welfare Association has resorted to cease work strike since February 7 demanding unconditional release of the arrested officials.

Chief Minister Ibobi Singh is informed to have been asked by the Union Food and Civil Supply Minister Sharad Pawar to set free the eight FCI officials.

Senior Regional Manager (Manipur and Nagaland) Seema Kakkar and AS Chhabra who have called on the Chief Minister today, are also learnt to have exerted pressure on the State Government to release them.

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