Artificial price rise in Tamenglong district
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, August 04 2016:
Tameng-long district, one of the backward and underdeveloped districts of the State is now reeling under acute shortage of essential commodities like petroleum products after the life line of the district � the Khongsang -Tamenglong road, deteriorated as the authorities concerned failed to repair the road stretch in time.
Residents of the district are reeling under the skyrockec ting prices of all commodities including medicine, petroleum products and other supplies as transportation charges have sharply increased owing to the bad road connectivity.
Almost all roads leading to the district headquarters are in bad shape showing signs of negligence of the authorities concerned.
President of Vegetable Vendor Society, Tamenglong Agui Kamei told The Sangai Express, that common people are suffering due to the incompetence of the authorities.
She asserted that the elected MLA has not taken any concrete steps to repair the existing roads which directly or indirectly impact every residents of Tamenglong.
"The cost of transportation has sharply increased due to the bad roads and this is reflected in the price of commodities which has jumped considerably," she stated.
She added that all district roads are in pitiable conditions.
Although the Society has urged and requested the elected representatives time and again to repair the roads, there has been no positive response, Agui lamented.
President of Traders Association, Tamenglong Mathew Repow Pamei also expressed his discontentment with the MLA and the district administration for neglecting the people.
He said, "Residents of Tamenglong have been demanding good transportation system but unfortunately it has remained just a demand" .
Unauthorized tax imposed by the police on transporters is also another cause for the price hike, Mathew stated.
Bad transportation facilities have also created acute shortage of petroleum products in the district as oil tankers can no longer take the Khongsang-Tamenglong road.
President of the Food Security Rationing Agents Association Lani Panmei said agents of the National Food Security Act (NFSA) face severe hardship in acquiring subsidized rice for distribution to the public as transportation costs have increased owing to bad roads.
In rainy seasons, almost all the roads in the district headquarters are in pitiable conditions, Khangthoyang, a villager of Inriangrong (Tamenglong Khunjao) stated adding that the condition of the roads has been causing serious inconvenience to the people.
He said the public, with assistance from the Church made some efforts to repair certain sections of the road leading to the village.
He appealed to the authorities to repair the roads and provide better transportation facilities.